Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 78
वसिष्ठ उवाच । अत्रार्थे तीर्थयात्रां त्वं कुरु पार्थिव सत्तम । निर्ममो निरहंकारस्ततः सिद्धिमवाप्स्यसि
vasiṣṭha uvāca | atrārthe tīrthayātrāṃ tvaṃ kuru pārthiva sattama | nirmamo nirahaṃkārastataḥ siddhimavāpsyasi
Vasiṣṭha dit : «Pour ce dessein, ô le meilleur des rois, entreprends le pèlerinage vers les tīrtha, les gués sacrés. Délivré de l’attachement possessif et de l’ego (ahaṃkāra), tu atteindras alors la siddhi : purification et accomplissement spirituel.»
Vasiṣṭha
Tirtha: General Nāgara tīrtha-yātrā (to be specified later in the adhyāya)
Type: kshetra
Listener: the king (pārthiva-sattama)
Scene: Vasiṣṭha points toward the horizon/road, instructing the king to set out; the king removes royal insignia, adopting a pilgrim’s simplicity; a path leads toward rivers, temples, and sacred groves.
FAQs
Pilgrimage bears fruit when joined with inner renunciation—dropping ego and possessiveness—so outer travel becomes inner purification.
The verse praises tīrtha-yātrā in general; specific tīrthas (like Prayāga) appear in the next verse.
Undertake tīrtha-yātrā as expiation, cultivating nirmamatva (non-possessiveness) and nirahaṅkāra (freedom from ego).