Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

नालभन्त श्रियं नाके मर्त्ये पातालगोचरे । कुरुक्षेत्रं गया गङ्गा नैमिषं पुष्करं तथा

Transliteration

nālabhanta śriyaṃ nāke martye pātālagocare | kurukṣetraṃ gayā gaṅgā naimiṣaṃ puṣkaraṃ tathā

Translation

نہ سُوَرگ میں، نہ مَرتیہ لوک میں، نہ پاتال کے دائرے میں ایسی روحانی شان ملتی ہے؛ کُرُکشیتر، گیا، گنگا، نیمِش اور پُشکر بھی اس کے برابر نہیں۔

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (negation particle)

• अलभन्त: obtained
• अलभन्त: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• श्रियम्: prosperity, fortune
• श्रियम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• नाके: in heaven
• नाके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• मर्त्ये: in the mortal world
• मर्त्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• पातालगोचरे: in the realm of the netherworld
• पातालगोचरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाताल + गोचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः—पातालस्य गोचरः (पाताल-सम्बन्धी)

• कुरुक्षेत्रम्: Kurukṣetra
• कुरुक्षेत्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः—कुरूणां क्षेत्रम्

• गया: Gayā
• गया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• गङ्गा: Gaṅgā
• गङ्गा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• नैमिषम्: Naimiṣa
• नैमिषम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैमिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• पुष्करम्: Puṣkara
• पुष्करम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• तथा: and likewise
• तथा: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb/conjunctional)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Revā Khaṇḍa kathā-frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ravitīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Royal listener (Kuru lineage address continues)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic triptych of heaven, earth, and netherworld shown as three bands; famous tīrthas appear as emblematic icons (dharma-chakra for Kurukṣetra, piṇḍa offerings for Gayā, flowing Gaṅgā, forest hermitage for Naimiṣa, lotus lake for Puṣkara) all dimmer than a blazing Ravitīrtha sunlit ghat.

Characters & Entities

• Kurukṣetra
• Gayā
• Gaṅgā
• Naimiṣa
• Puṣkara
• Pātāla
• Svarga (Nāka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage merits are graded in Purāṇic dharma, and a specially praised tīrtha can surpass even the most famous pan-Indian sacred sites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse functions as a comparative preface; in this adhyāya the focal tīrtha is Ravitīrtha (introduced immediately after).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is stated here; it is a eulogy establishing the exceptional merit of the tīrtha.