Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

दाक्षिणात्येषु तीर्थेषु स्नाने जाताद्य मे मतिः । तवायत्ता गिरे सैव तत्कुरुष्व यथोचितम्

Transliteration

dākṣiṇātyeṣu tīrtheṣu snāne jātādya me matiḥ | tavāyattā gire saiva tatkuruṣva yathocitam

Translation

Aujourd’hui s’est levée en moi la résolution de me baigner dans les tīrtha sacrés du Sud. Ce dessein dépend de toi, ô montagne ; agis donc comme il convient.

Word by Word

• दाक्षिणात्येषु: in the southern
• दाक्षिणात्येषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दाक्षिणात्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन; ‘दक्षिणदेशसम्बन्धिषु’ (in southern)

• तीर्थेषु: in the sacred places
• तीर्थेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• स्नाने: at the bath / during bathing
• स्नाने: Adhikarana (Occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘स्नाने (कर्मणि/अवसरे)’ (at bathing)

• जाता: arisen
• जाता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √जन् क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (arisen/born)

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (today/now)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘मम’ (of me/my)

• मतिः: intention/resolve
• मतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘तव’ (of you/your)

• आयत्ता: dependent (on you)
• आयत्ता: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आयत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; आ+यम्/यत्? ‘आयत्त’ = dependent)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (dependent on)

• गिरे: O mountain
• गिरे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सा: that (resolve)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (indeed/only)

• तत्: that (accordingly)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘तत् (कार्यं)’ (that)

• कुरुष्व: do (it)
• कुरुष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (do)

• यथा-उचितम्: as appropriate
• यथा-उचितम्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + उचित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √वच्? ‘उचित’ = proper)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषणम् (as is proper)

Speaker

Agastya (implied continuation of address to Vindhya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dakṣiṇātya tīrthas (collective)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vindhya (personified)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agastya declares his intention to bathe at southern tīrthas; he tells Vindhya that the plan depends on the mountain and asks it to act appropriately.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Vindhya
• Dakṣiṇātya Tīrthas (southern pilgrimage sites)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage and sacred bathing are dharmic acts supported by right conduct and the removal of obstacles born of pride.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse broadly references ‘southern tīrthas’ (dākṣiṇātya tīrthas) without specifying a single named location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at tīrthas is referenced as Agastya’s intended observance.