Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

बाष्पपूर्णेक्षणा दीना मुक्तकेशी विशेषतः । एष व्याधिविनिर्मुक्तस्तीर्थयात्राफलान्वितः । कुष्ठव्याधिपरित्यक्तः पुनरेष्यति तेंऽतिकम्

Transliteration

bāṣpapūrṇekṣaṇā dīnā muktakeśī viśeṣataḥ | eṣa vyādhivinirmuktastīrthayātrāphalānvitaḥ | kuṣṭhavyādhiparityaktaḥ punareṣyati teṃ'tikam

Translation

Mit tränengefüllten Augen, elend und mit gelöstem Haar, klagte sie: „Er wird von Krankheit befreit sein, mit der Frucht der Pilgerfahrt zu den Tīrthas beschenkt; die Lepra ablegend, wird er wieder zu dir zurückkehren.“

Word by Word

• बाष्पपूर्णेक्षणा: with eyes full of tears
• बाष्पपूर्णेक्षणा: Karta (कर्ता) (describing the woman)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाष्प + पूर्ण + ईक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (बाष्पैः पूर्णे ईक्षणे यस्याः सा)

• दीना: wretched
• दीना: Karta (कर्ता) (apposition)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मुक्तकेशी: with loosened hair
• मुक्तकेशी: Karta (कर्ता) (apposition)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्त + केशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (मुक्ताः केशाः यस्याः सा)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Adverbial modifier (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• एषः: this (man)
• एषः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• व्याधिविनिर्मुक्तः: freed from disease
• व्याधिविनिर्मुक्तः: Karta (कर्ता) (apposition to एषः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्याधि + वि-निर्मुक्त (मुच् धातु; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (व्याधेः विनिर्मुक्तः); भूतकृदन्त

• तीर्थयात्राफलान्वितः: endowed with the fruit of pilgrimage
• तीर्थयात्राफलान्वितः: Karta (कर्ता) (apposition)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीर्थ + यात्रा + फल + अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (तीर्थयात्रायाः फलैः अन्वितः)

• कुष्ठव्याधिपरित्यक्तः: abandoned by leprosy-disease (i.e., cured)
• कुष्ठव्याधिपरित्यक्तः: Karta (कर्ता) (apposition)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुष्ठ + व्याधि + परि-त्यक्त (त्यज् धातु; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (कुष्ठव्याधिना परित्यक्तः); भूतकृदन्त

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Adverbial modifier
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण

• एष्यति: will come
• एष्यति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ते: to you/your
• ते: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान) / relation (to you)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (6th/4th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अन्तिकम्: near (you)
• अन्तिकम्: Karma (कर्म) (goal/place)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; देशवाचक

Speaker

Unclear in snippet (lament-description plus consoling assurance; likely narrative voice conveying reassurance to Jāmbavatī in Kṛṣṇa’s presence)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grief-stricken woman with tear-filled eyes and loosened hair laments, while an unseen assurance (oracle-like voice or messenger) proclaims that the afflicted one will be freed from leprosy and return after completing pilgrimage.

Characters & Entities

• Kuṣṭha (leprosy)
• Tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage)
• Return to family

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is portrayed as both purifying and restorative—granting merit and relief from suffering when undertaken with faith.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter’s tīrtha framework connected with Arbuda and the deity of Kuharāśraya-kṣetra, where healing and merit are promised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertaking tīrtha-yātrā is explicitly praised as yielding spiritual ‘fruit’ and even bodily relief from disease.