Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

ततः कतिपयाहस्य भ्रममाणो महीपतिः । सोऽपश्यद्ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठांस्तीर्थयात्राश्रयान्बहून्

Transliteration

tataḥ katipayāhasya bhramamāṇo mahīpatiḥ | so'paśyadbrāhmaṇaśreṣṭhāṃstīrthayātrāśrayānbahūn

Translation

Puis, après avoir erré quelques jours, le roi aperçut de nombreux brāhmaṇas éminents—des pèlerins qui avaient pris refuge dans le voyage vers un tīrtha.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (then/thereafter)

• katipaya-āhasya: of a few days
• katipaya-āhasya: Sambandha (Genitive of time/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: katipaya (प्रातिपदिक) + aha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter) ‘अहः’ (day) इत्यस्य षष्ठी विभक्ति (genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular); तत्पुरुषः ‘कतिपयानि अहानि’ → ‘कतिपयाह’ (a few days)

• bhramamāṇaḥ: wandering
• bhramamāṇaḥ: Karta (Agent as participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhram (धातु)
• Form: भ्रम् (bhram) धातु, शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• mahīpatiḥ: the king
• mahīpatiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘महीनां पतिः’ = lord of the earth

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• apaśyat: saw
• apaśyat: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: दृश् (dṛś) धातु, लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपदम्

• brāhmaṇa-śreṣṭhān: excellent brāhmaṇas
• brāhmaṇa-śreṣṭhān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया विभक्ति (accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (plural); कर्मधारयः ‘श्रेष्ठाः ब्राह्मणाः’ = excellent brāhmaṇas

• tīrtha-yātrā-āśrayān: engaged in pilgrimage to sacred places
• tīrtha-yātrā-āśrayān: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + yātrā (प्रातिपदिक) + āśraya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया विभक्ति (accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (plural); तत्पुरुषः ‘तीर्थयात्रायाः आश्रयाः’ = devoted to/engaged in pilgrimage

• bahūn: many
• bahūn: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया विभक्ति (accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (plural)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṅkhatīrtha / Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇic audience (not explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The wandering king comes upon a group of radiant brāhmaṇas—staffs, waterpots, and travel-worn garments—resting near a sacred spot, their presence calm and authoritative.

Characters & Entities

• King (mahīpati)
• Brāhmaṇas (pilgrims)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In dharma, guidance often arrives through sādhus and learned pilgrims; holy company becomes a turning point on the spiritual journey.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse highlights the culture of tīrtha-yātrā generally; the chapter’s main tīrtha remains Śaṅkhatīrtha within Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it foregrounds association with tīrtha-yātrins (pilgrims) as a dharmic support.