Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 100

Devanagari script

गंतव्यानि महादेवि स्वधर्मस्य विवृद्धये । अशक्यानि शिवान्येवं गंतुं चैव सुरेश्वरि । मनसा तानि सर्वाणि गंतव्यानि समाहितैः

Transliteration

gaṃtavyāni mahādevi svadharmasya vivṛddhaye | aśakyāni śivānyevaṃ gaṃtuṃ caiva sureśvari | manasā tāni sarvāṇi gaṃtavyāni samāhitaiḥ

Translation

These tīrthas are to be visited, O Great Goddess, for the increase of one’s own dharma. Yet, O Śivā, O Queen of the gods, it is impossible to go to them all; therefore, with a collected mind, all of them are to be “visited” mentally.

Word by Word

• गन्तव्यानि: to be visited / should be gone to
• गन्तव्यानि: Kriya-Visheshana (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligative) ‘गन्तव्य’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Neuter, Nominative, Plural; विधेय (ought to be gone to)

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Vocative, Singular

• स्वधर्मस्य: of one’s own duty
• स्वधर्मस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• विवृद्धये: for the increase
• विवृद्धये: Sampradana/Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि + वृध् (धातु) → विवृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन), एकवचन; Feminine, Dative (4th), Singular

• अशक्यानि: impossible (to do)
• अशक्यानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (निषेध) + शक्य (प्रातिपदिक; from शक् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Neuter, Nominative, Plural; विशेषणम् (predicate) गन्तव्यानि/तीर्थाणि प्रति

• शिवानि: auspicious
• शिवानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Neuter, Nominative, Plural; विशेषणम्

• एवम्: thus/in this way
• एवम्: Kriya-Visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• गन्तुम्: to go
• गन्तुम्: Kriya-Artha (Infinitival purpose/क्रियार्थ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• सुरेश्वरि: O queen/lady of the gods
• सुरेश्वरि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरेश्वरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Vocative, Singular

• मनसा: by the mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Singular

• तानि: those (places)
• तानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Neuter, Accusative, Plural; विशेषणम् तानि प्रति

• गन्तव्यानि: should be visited
• गन्तव्यानि: Kriya-Visheshana (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligative); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Neuter, Nom./Acc., Plural; पुनरुक्ति (repetition for emphasis)

• समाहितैः: by the concentrated/collected (ones)
• समाहितैः: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + धा (धातु) → समाहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; विशेषणम् (agent-instrument) जनैः (understood) प्रति

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mānasa-tīrtha-yātrā (doctrinal tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī (Mahādevī, Sureśvarī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pārvatī and Śiva in calm dialogue; behind them a cosmic map-like vision of countless tīrthas appearing as luminous points. A devotee sits in meditation, ‘traveling’ inwardly to those sites.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādevī (Pārvatī)
• Śivā (Pārvatī)
• Sureśvarī (Pārvatī)
• Tīrthas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When physical pilgrimage is not feasible, sincere mental pilgrimage with a focused mind is affirmed as a dharmic alternative.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching applies to all tīrthas, within the Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya’s broader glorification of sacred travel.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practice mānasa-yātrā (mental visitation) with samāhita-citta (collected attention) to access tīrtha merit.