Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

यम उवाच । योजनद्वयविस्तीर्णं मन्नाम्ना तीर्थमुत्तमम् । मुक्तेश्च शाश्वतं स्थानं पावनं सर्वदेहिनाम्

Transliteration

yama uvāca | yojanadvayavistīrṇaṃ mannāmnā tīrthamuttamam | mukteśca śāśvataṃ sthānaṃ pāvanaṃ sarvadehinām

Translation

阎摩说道：“愿以我的名号建立一处最胜的渡口圣地（tīrtha），广延二由旬；成为永恒的解脱之所（mokṣa），净化一切具身众生。”

Word by Word

• यमः: Yama
• यमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• योजन-द्वय-विस्तीर्णम्: extended over two yojanas
• योजन-द्वय-विस्तीर्णम्: Karta (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योजन (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक) + विस्तीर्ण (कृदन्त; √स्तॄ/स्तृ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; ‘two-yojanas-extended’ इति विशेषण (to ‘tīrtham’)

• मत्-नाम्ना: by my name
• मत्-नाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत् (अस्मद्-प्रातिपदिक) + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• तीर्थम्: sacred ford/place of pilgrimage
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Karta (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (to ‘tīrtham’)

• मुक्तेः: of liberation
• मुक्तेः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• शाश्वतम्: eternal
• शाश्वतम्: Karta (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाश्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (to ‘sthānam’)

• स्थानम्: place, abode
• स्थानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• पावनम्: purifying
• पावनम्: Karta (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (to ‘sthānam/tīrtham’)

• सर्वदेहिनाम्: of all embodied beings
• सर्वदेहिनाम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + देहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

Speaker

Yama

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Yama-nāmā Tīrtha within Dharmāraṇya (requested)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśvara/Śaṅkara

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sweeping view of an expansive tīrtha-region (two yojanas) with bathing ghats/ponds, pilgrims, sages, and a central Śiva presence; the atmosphere conveys purification and liberation.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Tīrtha
• Mukti (liberation)
• Dharmāraṇya (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A consecrated tīrtha is portrayed as both geographically defined and spiritually boundless—granting purification and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha within Dharmāraṇya, requested to be established in Yama’s name and measured as two yojanas in extent.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific practice is named; the verse states the fruit (pāvanatva and mukti) of connection with the tīrtha.