Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

ततो जिगमिषंतस्ते वृष्ण्यंधकमहारथाः । सांतःपुरास्तीर्थयात्रामीहंते स्म नरर्षभाः

Transliteration

tato jigamiṣaṃtaste vṛṣṇyaṃdhakamahārathāḥ | sāṃtaḥpurāstīrthayātrāmīhaṃte sma nararṣabhāḥ

Translation

ثم إنّ أولئك العظام من فرسان المركبات من الڤريشنيين والأندهك—وهم ثيرانٌ بين الرجال—انطلقوا مع أهل بيوتهم وحريمهم، عازمين على أداء رحلة الحجّ إلى التيِرثات.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kāla (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• jigamiṣantaḥ: wishing to go
• jigamiṣantaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √gam (गम् धातु) + सन् (desiderative) + शतृ
• Form: सन्नन्त-धातोः वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (desiderative present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (te/mahārathāḥ इति)

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• vṛṣṇi-andhaka-mahārathāḥ: the Vṛṣṇi and Andhaka great warriors
• vṛṣṇi-andhaka-mahārathāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣṇi + andhaka + mahāratha (प्रातिपदिक-त्रय)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (वृष्णयश्च अन्धकाश्च) + कर्मधारय (mahārathāḥ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• sa-antahpurāḥ: together with their households/retinue
• sa-antahpurāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa + antahpura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव: sa-antahpuram (with the inner apartments/with womenfolk) → बहुव्रीह्यर्थे विशेषणवत्; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (mahārathāḥ इति)

• tīrtha-yātrām: pilgrimage
• tīrtha-yātrām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha + yātrā (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: tīrthasya yātrā, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• īhante: undertake/strive for
• īhante: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √īh (ईह् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• sma: indeed/then (narrative marker)
• sma: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sma (अव्यय)
• Form: स्म-निपात (past-narrative particle, often with present form)

• nara-rṣabhāḥ: bulls among men (best men)
• nara-rṣabhāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara + ṛṣabha (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय: narāṇām ṛṣabhāḥ (best of men), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (contextual deduction within Māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa tīrthas (collective)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vṛṣṇi and Andhaka mahārathas, accompanied by their inner apartments/households, set out as a grand caravan, resolute for tīrtha-yātrā.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛṣṇi
• Andhaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthayātrā is portrayed as a collective dharmic act—purifying not only individuals but entire clans and households.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya frames Prabhāsa as the principal tīrtha toward which this journey moves.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is the undertaking of tīrthayātrā itself (a pilgrimage vow-like observance).