Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

तीर्थानुगमनं पद्भ्यां तपःपरमिहोच्यते । तदेव कृत्वा यानेन स्नानमात्रफलं लभेत्

Transliteration

tīrthānugamanaṃ padbhyāṃ tapaḥparamihocyate | tadeva kṛtvā yānena snānamātraphalaṃ labhet

Translation

Den Pilgerweg zu den Tīrthas zu Fuß zu gehen, wird hier als höchste Askese verkündet. Wer jedoch dieselbe Reise im Fahrzeug tut, erlangt nur die Frucht des Bades.

Word by Word

• तीर्थ: pilgrimage-place
• तीर्थ: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• अनुगमनम्: going on pilgrimage
• अनुगमनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुगमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तीर्थ-अनुगमन (तत्पुरुष: 'going to/following a tīrtha')

• पद्भ्याम्: by (one's) feet
• पद्भ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), द्विवचन

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (तपः)

• इह: here (in this context/world)
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय

• उच्यते: is said
• उच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √कृ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund): 'having done'

• यानेन: by a vehicle
• यानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• स्नान: bathing
• स्नान: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• मात्र: mere, only
• मात्र: —
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासमध्यपद (in compound)

• फलम्: the fruit (result)
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; स्नान-मात्र-फल (तत्पुरुष: 'fruit consisting of only bathing')

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

Speaker

Īśvarī (Pārvatī) or a Devī addressed as 'Īśvari' (contextual narrator within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśvarī/Mahādevī (addressed in adjacent verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A line of pilgrims walks barefoot along a dusty coastal road toward Prabhāsa, carrying water-pots and staffs; beside them a chariot/cart passes, visually marking the doctrinal contrast between pāda-yātrā tapas and conveyance travel.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity intensifies merit; walking to a tīrtha is praised as superior tapas compared to comfortable travel.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The principle is stated for tīrtha-yātrā generally, within the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prefer pāda-yātrā (pilgrimage on foot) for highest merit; vehicle travel yields comparatively reduced फल.