Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

मुख्या पुरुषयात्रा हि तीर्थयात्रानुषंगतः । सद्भिः समाश्रितो भूप भूमिभागस्तथोच्यते

Transliteration

mukhyā puruṣayātrā hi tīrthayātrānuṣaṃgataḥ | sadbhiḥ samāśrito bhūpa bhūmibhāgastathocyate

Translation

«En vérité, le ‘voyage’ le plus élevé est le voyage vers les êtres nobles; le pèlerinage aux tīrthas n’est que secondaire. Ô roi, la contrée de la terre où se réfugient les gens de bien est dite véritablement bénie.»

Word by Word

• मुख्या: principal / foremost
• मुख्या: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• पुरुषयात्रा: journey of men / human pilgrimage
• पुरुषयात्रा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक) + यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पुरुषाणां यात्रा)

• हि: indeed / for
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ

• तीर्थयात्रानुषङ्गतः: due to the connection with pilgrimage
• तीर्थयात्रानुषङ्गतः: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुषङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषः; ‘-तः’ = तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverbial) अर्थे ‘अनुषङ्गात्’

• सद्भिः: by the good (people)
• सद्भिः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• समाश्रितः: resorted to / associated with
• समाश्रितः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + श्रि (धातु)
• Form: भूतकालिक-कृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘आश्रितः’ = has resorted/has been associated

• भूप: O king
• भूप: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• भूमिभागः: a portion of land / region
• भूमिभागः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (भूमेः भागः)

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

• उच्यते: is called
• उच्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; teaching maxim within the episode)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Satpuruṣa-saṅga (as living tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhūpa (the king; contextually Mārkaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Lomaśa instructs the king: a didactic tableau where the sage gestures toward a circle of sādhus, while a distant river-tīrtha is shown as secondary; the ‘blessed land’ glows where the good reside.

Characters & Entities

• Bhūpa (king)
• Sat (the virtuous)
• Tīrtha-yātrā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The truest pilgrimage is seeking the company of the virtuous; sacredness arises where saints dwell and dharma is lived.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the verse reframes tīrtha as any place sanctified by the residence and conduct of the good.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it prescribes a value-priority: pursue sat-saṅga (journey to holy persons) as the highest pilgrimage.