Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

परित्यज्य धनुष्कोटिं तीर्थमन्यद्व्रजेत्तु यः । सिद्धं स गोपयस्त्यक्त्वा स्नुहीक्षीरं प्रयाचते

Transliteration

parityajya dhanuṣkoṭiṃ tīrthamanyadvrajettu yaḥ | siddhaṃ sa gopayastyaktvā snuhīkṣīraṃ prayācate

Translation

Celui qui délaisse Dhanuṣkoṭi pour un autre tīrtha est tel un homme qui, abandonnant le lait parfait de la vache, va mendier le latex laiteux du snuhī.

Word by Word

• परित्यज्य: having abandoned
• परित्यज्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), परस्मैपदी; अर्थः—पूर्वकर्म (having abandoned)

• धनुष्कोटिम्: Dhanuṣkoṭi (the sacred place)
• धनुष्कोटिम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुष्कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—धनुषः कोटिः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• तीर्थम्: a pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अन्यत्: another
• अन्यत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying तीर्थम्)

• व्रजेत्: should go
• व्रजेत्: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदी

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थे (but/indeed)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• सिद्धम्: what is accomplished/attained (the sure good)
• सिद्धम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मपद (object)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गोपयः: you should conceal/guard
• गोपयः: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गोपय् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदी; आज्ञार्थ-प्रयोगसदृशः (injunctive sense)

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), परस्मैपदी

• स्नुहीक्षीरम्: milk/latex of euphorbia (snuhī)
• स्नुहीक्षीरम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नुही-क्षीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—स्नुह्याः क्षीरम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• प्रयाचते: begs for/asks
• प्रयाचते: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-याच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदी

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from continuous Setukhaṇḍa narration; explicit speaker appears at 33.1)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhanuṣkoṭi

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stands at the sandy edge of Dhanuṣkoṭi with the sea meeting the sky; behind him a radiant cow offering abundant milk (symbol of siddha-phala), while in the distance a thorny snuhī plant exudes latex into a begging bowl—visualizing the folly of abandoning the श्रेष्ठ tīrtha.

Characters & Entities

• Dhanuṣkoṭi
• Tīrtha
• Snuhī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Do not forsake an exceptionally purifying tīrtha once known; true discernment chooses the highest spiritual good.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhanuṣkoṭi Tīrtha, praised within the Setukhaṇḍa’s Setu Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; the verse uses a strong analogy to urge prioritizing Dhanuṣkoṭi over other pilgrimages.