Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

तीर्थान्यावाहयामास मुनिप्रीत्यर्थमुत्तमः । ततस्सुचरितं प्राह शंकरः करुणानिधिः

Transliteration

tīrthānyāvāhayāmāsa muniprītyarthamuttamaḥ | tatassucaritaṃ prāha śaṃkaraḥ karuṇānidhiḥ

Translation

องค์ผู้ประเสริฐทรงอัญเชิญตถีรถะทั้งหลาย เพื่อความปีติของฤๅษี แล้วพระศังกร ผู้เป็นคลังแห่งกรุณา ได้ตรัสแก่สุจริต

Word by Word

• तीर्थानि: the sacred places
• तीर्थानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• आवाहयामास: invoked
• आवाहयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ह्वा (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच् (causative) भावः—invoked/summoned

• मुनि-प्रीति-अर्थम्: for the pleasure of the sages
• मुनि-प्रीति-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रीति (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोजनार्थे (for the sake of sages' pleasure)

• उत्तमः: the excellent one
• उत्तमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; (शंकरः/सः) इति विशेषणम्

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक (then/thereafter)

• सुचरितम्: the good account/deed
• सुचरितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + चरित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √चर्)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास (सुन्दरं चरितम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; अर्थः—said/told

• शंकरः: Śaṅkara
• शंकरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• करुणानिधिः: treasury of compassion
• करुणानिधिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करुणा (प्रातिपदिक) + निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (करुणायाः निधिः); पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; शंकरः इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (narration), transitioning to Śaṅkara’s speech

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarva-tīrtha-sannidhāna at Gandhamādana (Setu-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sucharita

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva completes the invocation of all tīrthas; the sage is pleased. Śaṅkara, compassionate, begins to instruct Sucharita—an intimate teaching moment after a cosmic act.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrthas
• Sucharita
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Compassionate divinity transforms dharma into an attainable path, even when ordinary means (travel) are difficult.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setukhaṇḍa locale on Gandhamādana where all tīrthas are invoked and made present.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Āvāhana of tīrthas—making sacred waters present—so that snāna can yield the fruit of bathing in all tīrthas.