Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

तेऽपि सर्वे मुनिश्रेष्ठाः खेचरत्व समन्विताः । तपःशक्त्या यांति नानातीर्थेषु भक्तितः

Transliteration

te'pi sarve muniśreṣṭhāḥ khecaratva samanvitāḥ | tapaḥśaktyā yāṃti nānātīrtheṣu bhaktitaḥ

Translation

Those best of sages too—endowed with the power to move through the sky—by the force of their austerities travel with devotion to many tīrthas, the sacred bathing-places.

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थ (also)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• मुनिश्रेष्ठाः: best of sages
• मुनिश्रेष्ठाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मुनीनाम् श्रेष्ठाः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• खेचरत्वम्: the state of moving in the sky (sky-going nature)
• खेचरत्वम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खेचर (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; भाववाचक तद्धित (त्व)

• समन्विताः: endowed with, possessed of
• समन्विताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अन्वि (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; धातु: अन्वि (अन्वये) उपसर्ग: सम्

• तपःशक्त्या: by the power of austerity
• तपःशक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तपसः शक्तिः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• यान्ति: they go
• यान्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; धातु: या (गत्यर्थे)

• नाना: various
• नाना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विविधत्ववाचक (various) — समासपूर्वपदवत् प्रयोगः

• तीर्थेषु: in (various) sacred places
• तीर्थेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन

• भक्तितः: out of devotion
• भक्तितः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb); ‘भक्तितः’ = भक्त्या/भक्त्या हेतोः (from devotion/through devotion)

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Radiant sages, light as wind, traverse the sky between rivers and shrines; below are forests, ghāṭas, and temple spires—an aerial map of sacred India.

Characters & Entities

• Munis
• Tīrthas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is elevated by tapas and devotion; holy travel becomes a disciplined spiritual practice, not mere movement.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse speaks of “many tīrthas” in general; specific sites are not listed in this shloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

General tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage) undertaken with bhakti, supported by tapas (austerity).