Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

यथा गयाशिरः पुण्यं सुराणां च यथा शिला । यथा च पुष्करं स्थानं मार्कण्डह्रद एव च

Transliteration

yathā gayāśiraḥ puṇyaṃ surāṇāṃ ca yathā śilā | yathā ca puṣkaraṃ sthānaṃ mārkaṇḍahrada eva ca

Translation

ดังที่คยาศิระศักดิ์สิทธิ์ และดังศิลาศักดิ์สิทธิ์ที่เหล่าเทวะสักการะนั้นบริสุทธิ์ฉันใด สถานศักดิ์สิทธิ์แห่งปุษกระ และสระมารกัณฑะก็ฉันนั้น

Word by Word

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative link)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमान/प्रकार) = 'as'

• गया-शिरः: Gayāśiras (the head/peak at Gayā)
• गया-शिरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक) + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन = Neuter, Nominative singular; तत्पुरुष ('गयायाः शिरः')

• पुण्यम्: holy
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन = Neuter, Nom./Acc. singular; predicate adjective

• सुराणाम्: of the gods
• सुराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन = Masculine, Genitive plural

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

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative link)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमान/प्रकार) = 'as'

• शिला: a stone/rock (sacred stone)
• शिला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन = Feminine, Nominative singular

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative link)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमान/प्रकार) = 'as'

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

• पुष्करम्: Puṣkara
• पुष्करम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन = Neuter, Nom./Acc. singular

• स्थानम्: place/holy site
• स्थानम्: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन = Neuter, Nom./Acc. singular; apposition to पुष्करम्

• मार्कण्ड-ह्रदः: Mārkaṇḍa-hrada (Markandeya’s lake)
• मार्कण्ड-ह्रदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + ह्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन = Masculine, Nominative singular; तत्पुरुष ('मार्कण्डस्य ह्रदः')

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण) = emphatic particle

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

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gayāśiras; Devārcita-śilā (surāṇāṃ śilā); Puṣkara-sthāna; Mārkaṇḍa-hrada

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fourfold sacred montage: (1) Gayāśiras as a sanctified hilltop with pilgrims offering piṇḍa; (2) a radiant stone pedestal worshipped by devas (surāḥ) with garlands; (3) Puṣkara’s precinct with Brahmā symbolism and a tīrtha lake; (4) Mārkaṇḍa-hrada with the sage in meditation beside a lotus-filled lake—each scene linked by a continuous halo ribbon indicating equal holiness.

Characters & Entities

• Gayāśiras
• Surāḥ (gods)
• Śilā (sacred stone)
• Puṣkara
• Mārkaṇḍa-hrada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sanctity extends across diverse forms—stones, lakes, and pilgrimage towns—each becoming a doorway to merit when honored with faith.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Puṣkara and Mārkaṇḍa-hrada, praised alongside famed Gayāśiras and a divine sacred śilā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it is an identification of holy equivalents among tīrthas.