Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

एवं ज्ञात्वा महादेवि यात्रां कुर्याद्यथाविधि । तीर्थोपवासं कृत्वादौ श्रद्धायुक्तो दृढव्रतः

Transliteration

evaṃ jñātvā mahādevi yātrāṃ kuryādyathāvidhi | tīrthopavāsaṃ kṛtvādau śraddhāyukto dṛḍhavrataḥ

Translation

فإذا عُلم ذلك، يا مَهَادِيفِي، فليُقْدِم المرء على الحجّ وفق السنّة المقرّرة؛ فيبدأ بصومٍ عند التيرثا (المَعبر المقدّس)، ممتلئًا بالإيمان (شرَدها) ثابتًا على النذر (فرَتا).

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ज्ञा (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया (having known)

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; महा + देवी

• यात्राम्: pilgrimage/journey (rite)
• यात्राम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यथा: as, according to
• यथा: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (as/according as)

• विधि: rule, prescribed procedure
• विधि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative) एकवचन (अव्ययीभावार्थे—यथाविधि = विधिमनुसृत्य)

• तीर्थोपवासम्: fasting at a sacred place
• तीर्थोपवासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ-उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तीर्थे उपवासः (locative-relation)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having done)

• आदौ: at first
• आदौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभूतम् (adverbial locative): 'in the beginning'

• श्रद्धायुक्तः: endowed with faith
• श्रद्धायुक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रद्धा-युक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; श्रद्धया युक्तः

• दृढव्रतः: of firm vow
• दृढव्रतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृढ-व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; दृढं व्रतं यस्य/दृढं व्रतम् (firm vow)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa Māhātmya narration; vocative mahādevi indicates a goddess as listener)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined pilgrim at Prabhāsa begins the yātrā by fasting: seated with a water pot and prayer beads, making sankalpa before the shrine; the path ahead shows tīrtha stations, indicating ‘yathāvidhi’ progression.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādevī
• yātrā
• tīrtha-upavāsa
• vrata
• śraddhā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tīrtha-yātrā begins with faith and disciplined vows, not mere travel.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, in whose Māhātmya the proper method of pilgrimage is prescribed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Begin the pilgrimage with tīrtha-upavāsa (a preparatory fast), undertaken with śraddhā and firm vrata.