Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

वसिष्ठं चाग्रतः कृत्वा महामांडलिकैर्नृपैः । पुनश्चरविधिं कृत्वा प्रस्थितश्चोत्तरां दिशम्

Transliteration

vasiṣṭhaṃ cāgrataḥ kṛtvā mahāmāṃḍalikairnṛpaiḥ | punaścaravidhiṃ kṛtvā prasthitaścottarāṃ diśam

Translation

Indem er Vasiṣṭha an die Spitze stellte, begleitet von großen mandalischen Königen, und nachdem er das gebührende Punaścaraṇa vollzogen hatte, brach er in die nördliche Himmelsrichtung auf.

Word by Word

• वसिष्ठम्: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Acc. sg.)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अग्रतः: in front
• अग्रतः: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of place)

• कृत्वा: having made/placed
• कृत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; धातु: कृ

• महामाण्डलिकैः: with great feudatory lords
• महामाण्डलिकैः: Sahakāraka (Accompaniment/Instrumental association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + माण्डलिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महान्तः माण्डलिकाः); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Instr. pl.)

• नृपैः: with kings
• नृपैः: Sahakāraka (Accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Instr. pl.)

• पुनश्चरविधिम्: the rite of punaścaraṇa
• पुनश्चरविधिम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुनश्चर (प्रातिपदिक) + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पुनश्चरस्य विधिः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Acc. sg.)

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; धातु: कृ

• प्रस्थितः: departed
• प्रस्थितः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) ‘प्रस्थित’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nom. sg.)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• उत्तराम्: northern
• उत्तराम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Acc. sg.); विशेषणम्

• दिशम्: direction
• दिशम्: Karma (Goal as object of motion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Acc. sg.)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal procession begins: Vasiṣṭha walks at the head with staff and matted locks; behind him Rāma with allied kings, after completing punaścaraṇa, turns toward the northern road.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Vasiṣṭha
• Mahāmāṃḍalika kings

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even royal power is subordinated to dharma: the king journeys under the guidance of a guru and with disciplined observance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader destination is Dharmāraṇya’s tīrtha-region; this verse highlights the righteous preparation and guided travel toward it.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Punaścara-vidhi (punaścaraṇa): a regulated religious observance commonly involving mantra-japa with supporting disciplines.