Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 200

Devanagari script

एवं वर्षत्रयं राजा तीर्थयात्रां चकार वै । न तस्य मुक्तिर्ददृशे ततः शोकमगात्परम्

Transliteration

evaṃ varṣatrayaṃ rājā tīrthayātrāṃ cakāra vai | na tasya muktirdadṛśe tataḥ śokamagātparam

Translation

So unternahm der König drei Jahre lang Pilgerfahrten zu den Tīrthas; doch er erblickte für sich keine Erlösung und verfiel darum in tiefsten Kummer.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• वर्षत्रयम्: three years
• वर्षत्रयम्: Karma/Extent (कर्म/परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (त्रीणि वर्षाणि); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (कालपरिमाण)

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• तीर्थयात्राम्: a pilgrimage
• तीर्थयात्राम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तीर्थस्य यात्रा); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

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

• वै: indeed
• वै: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• न: not
• न: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• तस्य: for him / of him
• तस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• मुक्तिः: liberation
• मुक्तिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• ददृशे: was seen / appeared
• ददृशे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• ततः: thereupon
• ततः: Hetu/Sequence (हेतु/अनन्तरता)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: तस्मात्-आर्थक-अव्यय (ablative adverb: from that/thereupon)

• शोकम्: sorrow
• शोकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• अगात्: went / fell into
• अगात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (अद्यतनभूत/Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• परम्: great / extreme
• परम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणं ‘शोकम्’

Speaker

Sūta (deduced narrator)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: थका हुआ राजा, यात्रा-चिह्नों सहित, तीर्थ-मार्ग पर बैठा/झुका हुआ; पीछे ध्वज, कलश, यात्रा-सामग्री; चेहरे पर गहन शोक

Characters & Entities

• Vainya (the king, implied)
• Tīrtha-yātrā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External pilgrimage alone may not yield mokṣa; liberation depends on inner transformation, repentance, and dharmic alignment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tīrthas collectively are referenced; the narrative is moving toward Kurukṣetra and Sthāṇutīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage) is mentioned as an act undertaken for years, but shown as insufficient without the right spiritual condition.