Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

ततो निजगृहं प्राप्य कञ्चि त्कालं महीपतिः । विश्रम्य प्रययौ पश्चात्तूर्णं पुण्यं गयाशिरः

Transliteration

tato nijagṛhaṃ prāpya kañci tkālaṃ mahīpatiḥ | viśramya prayayau paścāttūrṇaṃ puṇyaṃ gayāśiraḥ

Translation

Daraufhin gelangte der König in sein eigenes Haus und ruhte eine Weile; dann brach er ohne Zögern eilends zum heiligen Gayāśiras auf.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक (then)

• निजगृहम्: his own house
• निजगृहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निज + गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समास: निज (own) + गृह (house)

• प्राप्य: having reached
• प्राप्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) → प्राप्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having reached)

• कञ्चित्: some
• कञ्चित्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कञ्चित् (सर्वनाम/अनिश्चित-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; अनिश्चितविशेषण (some)

• कालम्: time/while
• कालम्: Kāla (Duration/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कालपरिमाण (accusative of extent of time)

• महीपतिः: the king
• महीपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपति (प्रातिपदिक; मही + पति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (lord of the earth)

• विश्रम्य: having rested
• विश्रम्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि-श्रम् (धातु) → विश्रम्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having rested)

• प्रययौ: went/departed
• प्रययौ: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद; perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Sambandha (Temporal connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/अनुक्रमवाचक (afterwards)

• तूर्णम्: quickly
• तूर्णम्: Kriya-viseshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तूर्णम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (quickly)

• पुण्यम्: holy/meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (of गयाशिरः)

• गयाशिरः: Gayāśiras (the holy Gayā peak/place)
• गयाशिरः: Karma (Destination as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक; स्थाननाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘गयायाः शिरः’ (Gaya-head/peak)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic storyteller; likely Sūta-style narration within Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gayāśiras (Gayā-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king at home briefly resting, then decisively departing with minimal delay; transition to a vision of Gayāśiras—sacred hill/kshetra with pilgrims, offerings, and a solemn ancestral rite atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Gayāśiras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A devotee prioritizes meritorious pilgrimage—especially to śrāddha-tīrthas—over comfort and delay.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gayāśiras, celebrated as a puṇya-kṣetra connected with ancestral rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implies urgency toward Gayāśiras for rites; the explicit śrāddha details follow in subsequent verses.