Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

दशाश्वमेधिकं तीर्थं तथा सत्यं द्विजोत्तम । यदि वेदपुराणोक्तं वाक्यं निःसंशयं भवेत्

Transliteration

daśāśvamedhikaṃ tīrthaṃ tathā satyaṃ dvijottama | yadi vedapurāṇoktaṃ vākyaṃ niḥsaṃśayaṃ bhavet

Translation

اے برہمنوں میں افضل! یہ بات یقینا سچ ہے کہ یہ ‘دَشاشوَمیَدھِک’ تیرتھ ہے، دس اشومیدھ یگیوں کے برابر؛ اگر ویدوں اور پرانوں کے کہے ہوئے وचन کو بے شک و شبہ مانا جائے۔

Word by Word

• daśāśvamedhikam: equivalent to ten Aśvamedha sacrifices
• daśāśvamedhikam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa-aśvamedhika (प्रातिपदिक; दश + अश्वमेधिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; adjective)

• tīrtham: sacred ford; pilgrimage place
• tīrtham: Karma/Pradhāna (Object/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• tathā: also; likewise
• tathā: Sambandha/Avyaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/उपमानार्थ (indeclinable; 'also/likewise')

• satyam: truth
• satyam: Karma/Pradhāna (Object/Predicate-nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• dvijottama: O best of the twice-born (brahmin)
• dvijottama: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija-uttama (प्रातिपदिक; द्विज + उत्तम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Singular)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Avyaya (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक अव्यय (indeclinable; conditional 'if')

• vedapurāṇoktam: stated in the Vedas and Purāṇas
• vedapurāṇoktam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: veda-purāṇa-ukta (प्रातिपदिक; वेद + पुराण + उक्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त 'उक्त'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (past passive participle; Neuter Nom/Acc Singular; adjective)

• vākyam: statement; sentence
• vākyam: Karma/Pradhāna (Object/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• niḥsaṃśayam: without doubt; certainly
• niḥsaṃśayam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niḥ-saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक; निः + संशय)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (Neuter Nom/Acc Singular; used adverbially)

• bhavet: would be; may be
• bhavet: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (Optative, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇa (continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Daśāśvamedhika-tīrtha (as named in the verse)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijoत्तम (best of brāhmaṇas) addressed within the narrative frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred riverbank tīrtha is praised as ‘Daśāśvamedhika’; a learned brāhmaṇa is addressed, and the air carries the authority of Veda and Purāṇa as if inscribed in the sky above the waters.

Characters & Entities

• Daśāśvamedhika Tīrtha
• Aśvamedha
• Veda
• Purāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic sacred geography can confer yajña-equivalent merit; faith in Veda-Purāṇa testimony anchors the tīrtha’s greatness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A ‘Daśāśvamedhika’ tīrtha—renowned as granting the fruit of ten Aśvamedha sacrifices (within the Revā Khaṇḍa milieu).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The merit-comparison to Aśvamedha is stated; the exact tīrtha practices (snāna, dāna, japa) are not detailed in this verse.