Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

आरेभिरे क्रियायोगं मार्कंडनृपपूर्वकाः । तेषां तपस्यतामेवं समाजग्मे कदाचन । तीर्थयात्रानुषंगेन लोमशालोकनोत्सुकः

Transliteration

ārebhire kriyāyogaṃ mārkaṃḍanṛpapūrvakāḥ | teṣāṃ tapasyatāmevaṃ samājagme kadācana | tīrthayātrānuṣaṃgena lomaśālokanotsukaḥ

Translation

Led by King Mārkaṇḍa, they began kriyā-yoga, the disciplined path of sacred practice. While they were thus engaged in austerity, at one time Lomaśa—eager to see them—arrived, as part of his circuit of pilgrimage to the tīrthas.

Word by Word

• आरेभिरे: they began
• आरेभिरे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + रभ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• क्रियायोगम्: discipline of rites / ritual practice
• क्रियायोगम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक) + योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (क्रियायाः योगः)

• मार्कण्डनृपपूर्वकाः: with King Mārkaṇḍa at the head
• मार्कण्डनृपपूर्वकाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मार्कण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषः (मार्कण्ड-नृपः पूर्वकः येषाम्)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• तपस्यताम्: while they were performing austerities
• तपस्यताम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तपस् (धातु: तप्)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक-कृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्यय, present active participle) ‘तपस्यत्’; षष्ठी-बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-vishesana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb)

• समाजग्मे: came together / arrived
• समाजग्मे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• कदाचन: at some time / once
• कदाचन: Kriya-vishesana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम् (temporal adverb)

• तीर्थयात्रानुषङ्गेन: by/through the occasion of a pilgrimage
• तीर्थयात्रानुषङ्गेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुषङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (तीर्थयात्रायाः अनुषङ्गः)

• लोमशालोकनोत्सुकः: eager to see Lomaśa
• लोमशालोकनोत्सुकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोमश (प्रातिपदिक) + आलोकन (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्सुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषः (लोमशस्य आलोकने उत्सुकः)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; within Nārada’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Phālguna (addressed in surrounding narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An ascetic encampment: King Mārkaṇḍa and companions engaged in kriyā-yoga and austerities; the sage Lomaśa arrives with a pilgrim’s staff, waterpot, and dust of many tīrthas on his feet.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍa-nṛpa
• Lomaśa
• Tīrtha-yātrā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage and disciplined practice (kriyā-yoga, tapas) are strengthened by the guidance and visitation of great sages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tīrtha-yātrā is mentioned generally; no single sacred site is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kriyā-yoga (structured religious discipline) and tapas (austerity) are the prescribed modes of practice.