Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

विगाह्य तत्र तीर्थानि देवतायतनानि च । इष्टापूर्तादिकं सर्वं कृतं तेन यथेप्सितम्

Transliteration

vigāhya tatra tīrthāni devatāyatanāni ca | iṣṭāpūrtādikaṃ sarvaṃ kṛtaṃ tena yathepsitam

Translation

Dort tauchte er in die Tīrthas ein und besuchte die Heiligtümer der Gottheiten; nach seinem Wunsch vollbrachte er alle verdienstvollen Werke, wie iṣṭa und pūrta.

Word by Word

• विगाह्य: having entered (and bathed)
• विगाह्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-गाह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभावः; ‘having entered/bathed’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Place)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• तीर्थानि: sacred fords/pilgrimage spots
• तीर्थानि: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• देवतायतनानि: temples/shrines of deities
• देवतायतनानि: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता-आयतन (प्रातिपदिक; देवता + आयतन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवतानाम् आयतनानि)

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

• इष्टापूर्तादिकं: sacrificial and charitable acts, etc.
• इष्टापूर्तादिकं: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इष्ट-आपূर्त-आदिक (प्रातिपदिक; इष्ट + आपूर्त + आदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (इष्टं च आपूर्तं च) + ‘आदि’ (etc.)

• सर्वं: all
• सर्वं: Karma (कर्म/Object-Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (इष्टापूर्तादिकम्)

• कृतं: was done
• कृतं: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘was done’

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (करण/Agent-Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• यथा: as
• यथा: Prakara (प्रकार/Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner: ‘as’)

• ईप्सितम्: desired/wished
• ईप्सितम्: Prakara (प्रकार/Manner-Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईप्सित (प्रातिपदिक; √आप्/ईप्स् भाव)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP used adjectivally), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘desired’

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya tīrthas (collective)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The pilgrim-king bathes at a tīrtha pool/river bend, then proceeds to small shrines nestled in the forest, offering flowers, lamps, and gifts; scenes of feeding ascetics and building/repairing public works symbolize pūrta.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmāraṇya
• Tīrthas
• Devatāyatanas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is fulfilled by both inner devotion and outward dharma—bathing in tīrthas, honoring shrines, and performing charitable/ritual merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrthas within Dharmāraṇya, along with its deity-shrines.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tīrtha-snāna (immersion), visiting devatāyatana (temples), and performing iṣṭa-pūrta (sacrificial and charitable works).