Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

अयोनिजं परं तीर्थमङ्गारेश्वरमुत्तमम् । स्कान्दं च नार्मदं ब्राह्मं वाल्मीकेश्वरसंज्ञितम्

Transliteration

ayonijaṃ paraṃ tīrthamaṅgāreśvaramuttamam | skāndaṃ ca nārmadaṃ brāhmaṃ vālmīkeśvarasaṃjñitam

Translation

ตีรถะอันสูงสุดคือ อังคาเรศวร ผู้บังเกิดเองไร้ครรภ์ (อโยนิจ) อันประเสริฐยิ่ง. (ที่นั่นยังมี) สกานทะ-ตีรถะ นารมทะ-ตีรถะ พราหมะ-ตีรถะ และสถานที่ที่เรียกว่า วาลมีกेशวร

Word by Word

• अयोनिजम्: not born of a womb; self-manifest
• अयोनिजम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (नञ्) + योनिज (प्रातिपदिक; योनि + ज)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष (अयोनिजम् = not womb-born)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तीर्थम्: tīrtha
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अङ्गारेश्वरम्: Aṅgāreśvara
• अङ्गारेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गार (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अङ्गारस्य ईश्वरः)

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्कान्दम्: Skanda-related
• स्कान्दम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्कान्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘स्कन्द-सम्बन्धि’ इति विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• नार्मदम्: Narmadā-related
• नार्मदम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक) + अण् (तद्धित) → नार्मद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तद्धितान्त विशेषण (Narmadā-related)

• ब्राह्मम्: Brahmā/Brahman-related
• ब्राह्मम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + अण् (तद्धित) → ब्राह्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तद्धितान्त (Brahmā/Brahman-related)

• वाल्मीकेश्वरसंज्ञितम्: named ‘Vālmīkeśvara’
• वाल्मीकेश्वरसंज्ञितम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाल्मीकि (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञित (कृदन्त; √ज्ञा (धातु) + सम्, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण; ‘वाल्मीकेश्वर’ इति संज्ञा यस्य तत्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Purāṇic recital style; speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aṅgāreśvara (ayoni-ja); Skānda-tīrtha; Nārmada-tīrtha; Brāhma-tīrtha; Vālmīkeśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A naturally arisen (svayambhū) linga on the riverbank, dark like ember (aṅgāra) with a subtle glow; nearby four signified tīrthas as symbolic banners: Skānda (spear emblem), Nārmada (river emblem), Brāhma (Veda emblem), Vālmīkeśvara (sage with manuscript).

Characters & Entities

• Aṅgāreśvara
• Skanda
• Narmadā
• Brahmā
• Vālmīkeśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembering and honoring revered tīrthas—especially self-manifest Śiva-sites—is itself a meritorious act that turns the mind toward dharma and pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Aṅgāreśvara is highlighted as the foremost tīrtha, alongside Skānda, Nārmada, Brāhma, and Vālmīkeśvara sites within the Revā (Narmadā) sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated here; the verse functions as tīrtha-saṅkīrtana (praise by naming), implying pilgrimage, darśana, and reverent remembrance.