Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

वसिष्ठ उवाच । अत्रार्थे तीर्थयात्रां त्वं कुरु पार्थिव सत्तम । निर्ममो निरहंकारस्ततः सिद्धिमवाप्स्यसि

Transliteration

vasiṣṭha uvāca | atrārthe tīrthayātrāṃ tvaṃ kuru pārthiva sattama | nirmamo nirahaṃkārastataḥ siddhimavāpsyasi

Translation

قال فَسِشْطَهُ: «لهذا الغرض، أيها الملكُ الأكرمُ بين الملوك، قمْ برحلةِ حجٍّ إلى التيرثا، المعابرِ المقدّسة. فإذا تخلّصتَ من التعلّق بالملكيّة ومن الأنا (أهمكارا)، نلتَ حينئذٍ السِّدّهي: التطهيرَ والتمامَ الروحيّ».

Word by Word

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

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

• अत्रार्थे: in this matter / for this purpose
• अत्रार्थे: Hetu (Purpose/Context/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (adverbial/locative sense) ‘in this matter/for this purpose’

• तीर्थयात्राम्: pilgrimage
• तीर्थयात्राम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (‘pilgrimage to tīrthas’)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• कुरु: do / undertake
• कुरु: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• पार्थिव: O king
• पार्थिव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• सत्तम: O best (one)
• सत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; उत्तम-भाव (superlative sense)

• निर्ममः: free from possessiveness
• निर्ममः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मम (प्रातिपदिक; निर् + मम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• निरहंकारः: without ego
• निरहंकारः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् (उपसर्ग) + अहंकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• ततः: then / thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), क्रम/परिणामार्थ (then/thereafter)

• सिद्धिम्: success / attainment
• सिद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• अवाप्स्यसि: you will obtain
• अवाप्स्यसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव+आप् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: General Nāgara tīrtha-yātrā (to be specified later in the adhyāya)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: the king (pārthiva-sattama)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vasiṣṭha points toward the horizon/road, instructing the king to set out; the king removes royal insignia, adopting a pilgrim’s simplicity; a path leads toward rivers, temples, and sacred groves.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• tīrthayātrā
• siddhi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage bears fruit when joined with inner renunciation—dropping ego and possessiveness—so outer travel becomes inner purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises tīrtha-yātrā in general; specific tīrthas (like Prayāga) appear in the next verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertake tīrtha-yātrā as expiation, cultivating nirmamatva (non-possessiveness) and nirahaṅkāra (freedom from ego).