Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

तन्मंदभाग्यतां श्रुत्वा लोकात्कार्पटिको मुने । कृत्वा गयां प्रयागं च ततः स्वविषयं ययौ

Transliteration

tanmaṃdabhāgyatāṃ śrutvā lokātkārpaṭiko mune | kṛtvā gayāṃ prayāgaṃ ca tataḥ svaviṣayaṃ yayau

Translation

فلما سمع من الناس خبر تلك النحوسة يا أيها الحكيم، قصد الكارپَتيكا (الحاجّ الزاهد) غايا وبرَياغا، ثم مضى بعد ذلك إلى بلاده.

Word by Word

• तत्-मन्द-भाग्यताम्: that ill-fortune
• तत्-मन्द-भाग्यताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + मन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग्यतā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (तत् + मन्द + भाग्यता)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive): 'having heard'

• लोकात्: from people/the world
• लोकात्: Apadana (अपादान; source: 'from people/world')
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचन

• कार्पटिकः: the mendicant
• कार्पटिकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्पटिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having visited/performed
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive): 'having done/visited (performed)'

• गयाम्: Gaya
• गयाम्: Karma (कर्म; object of 'kṛtvā' = having visited)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक; स्थाननाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रयागम्: Prayaga
• प्रयागम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक; स्थाननाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

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

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Sequence marker (क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (then/thereafter)

• स्व-विषयम्: his own region
• स्व-विषयम्: Karma/Goal (कर्म/गन्तव्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + विषय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (स्व + विषय)

• ययौ: went
• ययौ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Narrative voice (Skanda relating to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gayā; Prayāga (Sangama)

Type: kshetra; sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis; addressed to 'muni'

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim journey montage: first at Gayā offering piṇḍa on riverbank with priests; then at Prayāga bathing at the sangam with flags, ghats, and confluence waters swirling.

Characters & Entities

• Gayā
• Prayāga
• kārpaṭika

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage to great tīrthas is portrayed as a dhārmic response amid misfortune and uncertainty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gayā and Prayāga are explicitly mentioned as major tīrthas within the sacred travel network.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implies tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage); specific rites are not detailed here.