Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

येन यात्रां व्रजन् वेत्ति फलमानं निजार्जितम् । उक्तं कृच्छ्रफलं तीर्थे जलरूपे नृपोत्तम

Transliteration

yena yātrāṃ vrajan vetti phalamānaṃ nijārjitam | uktaṃ kṛcchraphalaṃ tīrthe jalarūpe nṛpottama

Translation

Dadurch kann derjenige, der zur yātrā (Pilgerfahrt) aufbricht, das Maß der von ihm erworbenen geistlichen Frucht erkennen. Und nun, o bester der Könige, werden die Früchte der kṛcchra-Observanz in Bezug auf das wasserförmige tīrtha, die heiligen Wasser, beschrieben.

Word by Word

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• व्रजन्: going
• व्रजन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्यय, वर्तमानकालिक), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘going’

• वेत्ति: knows
• वेत्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• फल-मानम्: the measure/extent of merit (fruit)
• फल-मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक) + मान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (फलस्य मानम्)

• निज-अर्जितम्: earned by oneself
• निज-अर्जितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भावः (‘स्वेन अर्जितम्’); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण

• उक्तम्: has been stated
• उक्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, भूतकर्मणि/कर्मणि), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; ‘has been said’

• कृच्छ्र-फलम्: the fruit of the kṛcchra (austerity)
• कृच्छ्र-फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषः (‘कृच्छ्रं फलम्’/‘कृच्छ्रस्य फलम्’)

• तीर्थे: at a sacred ford/place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• जल-रूपे: in the form of water
• जल-रूपे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जलस्य रूपे)

• नृप-उत्तम: O best of kings
• नृप-उत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘उत्तमो नृपः’)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jala-rūpa tīrtha (generic category within Revā Khaṇḍa)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims at a river-ghāṭa performing controlled austerity: some fasting, some offering arghya; the narrator gestures toward flowing water as the locus of kṛcchra-phala.

Characters & Entities

• Yātrā (pilgrimage)
• Tīrtha
• Jala (sacred waters)
• Kṛcchra
• King (Yudhiṣṭhira)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma joins effort with discernment: knowing the path and its measure helps one understand the earned merit, especially at sacred waters.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse broadly points to water-based tīrthas (holy rivers/ford-crossings) in the Revā Khaṇḍa context rather than naming one site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kṛcchra (penance/fasting discipline) is introduced in connection with tīrtha practice, especially holy waters (snāna implied).