Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

श्रुत्वेति वचनं तस्य रामं ज्ञानवतां वरः । गन्तुं कृतमतिस्तीर्थं यात्राविधिमथाचरत्

Transliteration

śrutveti vacanaṃ tasya rāmaṃ jñānavatāṃ varaḥ | gantuṃ kṛtamatistīrthaṃ yātrāvidhimathācarat

Translation

Als er seine Worte vernahm, fasste Rāma—der Vortrefflichste unter den Weisen—den Entschluss, zu jener heiligen Furt zu gehen, und vollzog darauf ordnungsgemäß die vorgeschriebenen Riten zum Antritt der Pilgerfahrt.

Word by Word

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; धातु: श्रु; अर्थे: ‘श्रुत्वा’ = having heard

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• वचनम्: speech, words
• वचनम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nom./Acc. sg.)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Gen. sg.)

• रामम्: Rama
• रामम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Acc. sg.)

• ज्ञानवताम्: of the wise
• ज्ञानवताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञानवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Gen. pl.); ‘ज्ञानवत्’ = wise/learned person

• वरः: the best
• वरः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nom. sg.)

• गन्तुम्: to go
• गन्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive), अव्यय; धातु: गम्

• कृतमतिः: one who had resolved
• कृतमतिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृ धातोः क्त) + मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कृता मतिः यस्य); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nom. sg.)

• तीर्थम्: pilgrimage-place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Acc. sg.)

• यात्राविधिम्: the procedure for the journey
• यात्राविधिम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (यात्रायाः विधिः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Acc. sg.)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (sequence marker/adverb)

• अचरत्: performed, carried out
• अचरत्: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: चर्

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; contextually Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa style narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma, calm and resolute, listens to counsel and then performs the formal commencement rites of pilgrimage—saṅkalpa, purification, and respectful preparation—before setting out toward a sacred ford.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Tīrtha (sacred ford/place)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sacred journey should begin with right intention (saṅkalpa) and correct observance of dharmic procedure, not mere travel.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse points toward the tīrtha connected with Dharmāraṇya (the holy forest-region), whose greatness is unfolded in this section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It mentions yātrā-vidhi—the formal rites and discipline undertaken before setting out on a pilgrimage.