Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

न तीर्थसेवनरता भविष्यंति च वाडवाः । बह्वाहारा भविष्यंति बहुनिद्रासमाकुलाः

Transliteration

na tīrthasevanaratā bhaviṣyaṃti ca vāḍavāḥ | bahvāhārā bhaviṣyaṃti bahunidrāsamākulāḥ

Translation

নাৰীসকল তীৰ্থ-সেৱা আৰু তীৰ্থদৰ্শনত আনন্দ নাপাব; তেওঁলোকে অধিক আহাৰত আসক্ত হ’ব আৰু অধিক নিদ্ৰাই তেওঁলোকক আচ্ছন্ন কৰিব।

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negative particle)

• तीर्थ-सेवन-रताः: devoted to visiting holy places
• तीर्थ-सेवन-रताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + सेवन (प्रातिपदिक) + रत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः: तीर्थसेवने रताः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• भविष्यन्ति: will be
• भविष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

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

• वाडवाः: men/people (vāḍavaḥ)
• वाडवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाडव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• बहु-आहाराः: having much food; overeating
• बहु-आहाराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (कर्मधारयः: बहवः आहाराः यस्य/ये); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• भविष्यन्ति: will be
• भविष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• बहु-निद्रा-समाकुलाः: disturbed/overwhelmed by much sleep
• बहु-निद्रा-समाकुलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + निद्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + समाकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः: बहुनिद्रया समाकुलाः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator within Dharmāraṇya-khaṇḍa describing Kali-yuga traits)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tīrtha-sevā (general)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājan) as addressee in the surrounding sequence

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Contrast tableau: a neglected ghat/temple with extinguished lamps and unattended steps, while households indulge in heavy meals and sleep; a lone pilgrim continues seva, highlighting dharma amid decline.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha
• Kali-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It contrasts tīrtha-sevā (sacred travel and service) with tamas-driven habits, showing how devotion and discipline fade in Kali-yuga.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is specified; the verse speaks generally about the decline of tīrtha-sevana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the implicit dharma is to cultivate tīrtha-yātrā/tīrtha-sevā rather than indulgence.