Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

स्थापितं गौतमेनैव लोकानां हितकाम्यया । स्वर्गसोपानरूपं तु तीर्थं पुंसां युधिष्ठिर

Transliteration

sthāpitaṃ gautamenaiva lokānāṃ hitakāmyayā | svargasopānarūpaṃ tu tīrthaṃ puṃsāṃ yudhiṣṭhira

Translation

此处由高多摩亲自建立，愿诸世界得安乐。此圣渡处，啊，坚战（Yudhiṣṭhira），对世人而言宛如通往天界的阶梯。

Word by Word

• स्थापितम्: established
• स्थापितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); तीर्थम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• गौतमेन: by Gautama
• गौतमेन: Karana (Agent/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौतम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• एव: indeed/alone
• एव: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• लोकानाम्: of the worlds/people
• लोकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• हितकाम्यया: with the desire for (their) welfare
• हितकाम्यया: Hetu (Cause/Motive/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हित + काम्य (प्रातिपदिक; तत्पुरुष-समासः)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular); हेतौ/भावे (as motive)

• स्वर्गसोपानरूपम्: having the form of a stairway to heaven
• स्वर्गसोपानरूपम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्ग + सोपान + रूप (प्रातिपदिक; तत्पुरुष-समासः)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (of तीर्थम्)

• तु: and/indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (contrast/emphasis particle)

• तीर्थम्: the sacred place
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुंसाम्: of men/people
• पुंसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8th/Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (to Yudhiṣṭhira)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gautameśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gautama Ṛṣi consecrates a Śiva-liṅga on the Narmadā’s north bank; a luminous stairway motif rises subtly into the sky behind the shrine, symbolizing svarga-sopāna.

Characters & Entities

• Gautama (ṛṣi)
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Gautameśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places founded by realized sages serve the common good and become practical pathways toward higher realms through dharmic living and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gautameśvara tīrtha associated with Gautama ṛṣi, on the Revā (Narmadā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the verse frames the tīrtha’s purpose and promised spiritual ascent.