Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 159

Devanagari script

अहं वैराग्यमापन्नस्तीर्थयात्रां समाश्रितः । बालभावे पितुर्दुःखात्तापसैरपरैः सह

Transliteration

ahaṃ vairāgyamāpannastīrthayātrāṃ samāśritaḥ | bālabhāve piturduḥkhāttāpasairaparaiḥ saha

Translation

So gelangte ich in Vairāgya, die Loslösung; und seit meiner Kindheit, vom Schmerz um meinen Vater erfüllt, nahm ich Zuflucht zur Pilgerfahrt zu den Tīrthas, in Gemeinschaft mit anderen Asketen.

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (कर्ता); एकवचन

• वैराग्यम्: dispassion
• वैराग्यम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैराग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म); एकवचन

• आपन्नः: having attained
• आपन्नः: Kriya (State/result/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-पद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past active participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• तीर्थयात्राम्: pilgrimage
• तीर्थयात्राम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ + यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म); एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (तीर्थस्य यात्रा)

• समाश्रितः: having resorted to
• समाश्रितः: Kriya (Action/result/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past active participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• बालभावे: in childhood
• बालभावे: Adhikarana (Time/state/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल + भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (अधिकरण); एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (बालस्य भावः)

• पितुः: of (my) father
• पितुः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध); एकवचन

• दुःखात्: from sorrow/because of grief
• दुःखात्: Apadana (Cause/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (अपादान); एकवचन

• तापसैः: with ascetics
• तापसैः: Sahakaraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तापस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (सह/करण); बहुवचन

• अपरैः: other
• अपरैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचन; विशेषण (तापसैः)

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakaraka (Association marker/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक-उपपद (with)

Speaker

The pilgrim/unknown man

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The speaker describes adopting detachment and joining ascetics on pilgrimage—an image of a small band of tapasvins walking between sacred waters and shrines, carrying kamaṇḍalus and staffs.

Characters & Entities

• tīrthayātrā
• vairāgya
• tāpasa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage (tīrthayātrā) is portrayed as a dharmic refuge that transforms grief into spiritual discipline and detachment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises tīrthayātrā in general within the Tīrthamāhātmya framework; a specific named site is not stated here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertaking tīrthayātrā—often performed with ascetics and under vows—is indicated as the chosen discipline.