Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

भगवन्सर्वतीर्थानां क्षेत्राणां च वदस्व मे । यत्प्रधानं पवित्रं यत्तदस्माकं प्रकीर्तय

Transliteration

bhagavansarvatīrthānāṃ kṣetrāṇāṃ ca vadasva me | yatpradhānaṃ pavitraṃ yattadasmākaṃ prakīrtaya

Translation

噢，世尊，请为我宣说一切圣渡（tīrtha）与诸圣域（kṣetra）；并为我们宣告其中何者为最上，何者最能净化。

Word by Word

• bhagavan: O Lord; venerable one
• bhagavan: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; संबोधन-प्रयोग (vocative address)

• sarva-tīrthānām: of all sacred fords/pilgrimage places
• sarva-tīrthānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; समासः कर्मधारय (sarvāṇi tīrthāni)

• kṣetrāṇām: of holy fields/regions
• kṣetrāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• vadasva: tell; speak
• vadasva: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vad (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• me: to me
• me: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; दत्त-सम्प्रदानार्थ (to me)

• yat: which (that)
• yat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• pradhānam: principal; foremost
• pradhānam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pradhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying yat)

• pavitram: pure; holy
• pavitram: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pavitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• yat: which (that)
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; तद्-प्रत्यय (correlative)

• asmākam: of us
• asmākam: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; स्वाम्यर्थ (of us)

• prakīrtaya: proclaim; describe
• prakīrtaya: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√kīrt (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Yayāti (in dialogue with Mārkaṇḍeya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal listener (nṛpaśreṣṭha) respectfully questions a sage about the foremost tīrtha; the setting suggests an assembly with palm-leaf manuscripts, water-pot, and ascetic emblems.

Characters & Entities

• Yayāti
• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Tīrtha
• Kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma encourages discernment: seekers should learn which holy places most effectively purify and uplift, rather than wandering without guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named yet; the question sets up Mārkaṇḍeya’s identification of the foremost kṣetra in the next verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

General orientation to tīrtha-sevana (seeking and honoring pilgrimage places); no specific rite is detailed.