Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

कुरुक्षेत्रं यथा पुण्यं रवितीर्थं श्रुतं मया । ईश्वरेण पुरा ख्यातं षण्मुखस्य नराधिप

Transliteration

kurukṣetraṃ yathā puṇyaṃ ravitīrthaṃ śrutaṃ mayā | īśvareṇa purā khyātaṃ ṣaṇmukhasya narādhipa

Translation

ดุจดังที่กุรุเกษตรเป็นแดนบุญฉันใด ข้าพเจ้าได้ยินว่ารวิทิรถะก็ศักดิ์สิทธิ์ฉันนั้น โอ้พระราชา ครั้งโบราณอีศวรได้ประกาศแก่ษัณมุขะ (สกันทะ)

Word by Word

• कुरुक्षेत्रम्: Kurukṣetra
• कुरुक्षेत्रम्: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कुरूणां क्षेत्रम्)

• यथा: as / just like
• यथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (as, just as)

• पुण्यम्: holy, meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण (कुरुक्षेत्रम्/रवितीर्थम् इत्यस्य)

• रवितीर्थम्: Ravi-tīrtha
• रवितीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रवेः तीर्थम्)

• श्रुतम्: heard
• श्रुतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रियाविशेष)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रुत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (heard)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उभयलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ईश्वरेण: by Īśvara (Lord Śiva)
• ईश्वरेण: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• ख्यातम्: proclaimed
• ख्यातम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ख्या (धातु) → ख्यात (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (proclaimed)

• षण्मुखस्य: of the six-faced one (Skanda)
• षण्मुखस्य: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षण् (संख्या, प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (षण्मुखः = षडाननः, स्कन्दः)

• नराधिप: O king
• नराधिप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नराणाम् अधिपः)

Speaker

Unnamed Purāṇic narrator (quoting a received tradition of Śiva’s proclamation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ravitīrtha

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Narādhipa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrative flashback: Īśvara proclaims the greatness of Ravitīrtha to Ṣaṇmukha; the present narrator tells the king that Ravitīrtha is as holy as Kurukṣetra.

Characters & Entities

• Kurukṣetra
• Ravitīrtha
• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Ṣaṇmukha (Skanda)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma elevates certain local tīrthas to pan-Indian stature by equating their merit with famed sites like Kurukṣetra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ravitīrtha, explicitly compared to Kurukṣetra in sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual here; it establishes the tīrtha’s authoritative fame via Śiva’s ancient proclamation.