Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

ततः स पार्थिवश्रेष्ठः संयतात्मा जितेंद्रियः । प्रयागादिषु तीर्थेषु स्नानं चक्रे समा हितः

Transliteration

tataḥ sa pārthivaśreṣṭhaḥ saṃyatātmā jiteṃdriyaḥ | prayāgādiṣu tīrtheṣu snānaṃ cakre samā hitaḥ

Translation

Daraufhin vollzog jener erhabenste König — selbstbeherrscht und die Sinne bezwingend — heilige Bäder an den tīrthas, beginnend mit Prayāga, in ruhiger, gesammelter Haltung.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/देश-कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — अपादान/क्रमसूचकः; 'thereupon/then'

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पार्थिवश्रेष्ठः: the best of kings
• पार्थिवश्रेष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पार्थिवानां श्रेष्ठः)

• संयतात्मा: self-controlled
• संयतात्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संयत + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (संयतः आत्मा यस्य/संयतात्मा)

• जितेन्द्रियः: having conquered the senses
• जितेन्द्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (इन्द्रियाणि जितानि येन)

• प्रयागादिषु: in Prayāga and other (places)
• प्रयागादिषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग + आदि (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (प्रयागः आदिः येषु)

• तीर्थेषु: in the sacred fords/pilgrimage spots
• तीर्थेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• चक्रे: performed, did
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• समाः: (for) years
• समाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; 'years' (समाः)

• हितः: steadfast, intent (fixed)
• हितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हित (कृदन्त; √धा/√हि? 'हित' as past participle used adjectivally)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (स्थित/नियत/स्थापित इत्यर्थे)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prayāga (as representative ‘ādi-tīrtha’ in the list)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija-sattamāḥ / brāhmaṇa audience (implied by later address)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined king, modestly clad, carrying a water-pot and staff, approaches a confluence tīrtha; priests and ascetics stand nearby as he performs snāna with folded hands, the river shimmering at dawn.

Characters & Entities

• Prayāga
• tīrtha
• snāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is strengthened by discipline—self-control and mental composure—while performing tīrtha-snānās during pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prayāga is explicitly mentioned as a leading tīrtha, with other sacred sites included thereafter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tīrtha-snānā (ritual bathing) at Prayāga and other holy places, undertaken with sense-control and focused mind.