Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

यदा कन्यागतः पङ्गुर्गुरुणा सहितो भवेत् । तदेव देवयात्रेयमिति देवा जगुर्मुदा

Transliteration

yadā kanyāgataḥ paṅgurguruṇā sahito bhavet | tadeva devayātreyamiti devā jagurmudā

Translation

„Wenn Bṛhaspati (Jupiter, der ‚Hinkende‘) in Kanyā (Jungfrau) eintritt und vom Lehrer (Guru) begleitet ist, dann ist eben dies die Zeit der göttlichen Pilgerfahrt“ — so sangen die Götter voller Freude.

Word by Word

• yadā: when
• yadā: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) = 'when'

• kanyā-gataḥ: having reached the maiden
• kanyā-gataḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kanyā (प्रातिपदिक) + gata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः = 'कन्यां गतः' (gone to/attained the maiden); विशेषणम् (पङ्गोः)

• paṅguḥ: a lame man
• paṅguḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paṅgu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• guruṇā: with the teacher
• guruṇā: Sahakari (Association/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• sahitaḥ: accompanied
• sahitaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sah (धातु) + ita (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'accompanied'

• bhavet: would become
• bhavet: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लोट्/विधिलिङ् (विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 'would be/may become' (optative)

• tat: that
• tat: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चय/एवकार) = emphatic particle

• deva-yātrā: divine pilgrimage
• deva-yātrā: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + yātrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः = 'देवानां यात्रा' (divine pilgrimage/procession)

• iyam: this
• iyam: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरण/quotative)

• devāḥ: the gods
• devāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• jaguḥ: sang/uttered
• jaguḥ: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gai (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; 'sang/said' (perfect)

• mudā: with joy
• mudā: Karana (Manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mudā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; भाववाचक = 'with joy' (instrumental of manner)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; verse reports the proclamation of the Devas)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Deva-yātrā-kāla at Kumbheśvara/Revā tīrtha (timing designation)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The gods sing joyfully, pointing to the heavens: Jupiter’s movement into Virgo, accompanied by ‘Guru’, marks the divine pilgrimage season; the sky shows zodiacal symbolism above the river and shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Guru (Bṛhaspati/Jupiter)
• Kanyā (Virgo)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred time (kāla) enhances sacred place (tīrtha); aligning pilgrimage with auspicious cosmic markers is praised in Purāṇic dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā pilgrimage circuit culminating around Kumbheśvara, framed as a ‘devayātrā’ at an auspicious time.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertaking tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage) during the stated astrological configuration is recommended.