Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

तदत्र विषये दानं न तपो न व्रतादिकम् । तीर्थसेवां परित्यज्य तस्मात्त्वं तां समाचर

Transliteration

tadatra viṣaye dānaṃ na tapo na vratādikam | tīrthasevāṃ parityajya tasmāttvaṃ tāṃ samācara

Translation

«En cette affaire, l’aumône ne suffit pas ; ni l’ascèse, ni les vœux et autres observances. C’est pourquoi, sans négliger le service des tīrtha sacrés, accomplis cette tīrtha-sevā.»

Word by Word

• tat: that
• tat: Sambandha (Reference/अन्वय-सूचक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• viṣaye: in the matter/topic
• viṣaye: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• dānam: gift, charity
• dānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• na: nor
• na: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• vrata-ādikam: vows and the like
• vrata-ādikam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक) + ādika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (vrata-ādika = 'vows and the like')

• tīrtha-sevām: service/attendance of a sacred ford
• tīrtha-sevām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + sevā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (tīrthasya sevā)

• parityajya: having abandoned
• parityajya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-tyaj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; धातु: त्यज् (to abandon) उपसर्ग: परि-

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग (ablatival adverbial: 'therefore/from that'); मूलतः पञ्चमी एकवचन

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-संबोधनार्थ?; सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• tām: that (service)
• tām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• samācara: practice, perform
• samācara: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-car (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; धातु: चर् (to practice) उपसर्ग: सम्-आ-

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-like figure instructs a pilgrim: charity, austerity, and vows are secondary here; the pilgrim is directed to serve the tīrtha—sweeping steps, offering water, guiding travelers—under a sacred landscape backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Bhīṣma (implied)
• Tīrtha-sevā
• Dāna
• Tapaḥ
• Vrata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

For certain grave faults, inner reform must be joined to sacred geography: tīrtha-sevā is upheld as a powerful purifier.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises tīrtha-sevā in general; the specific tīrtha is not identified within this shloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertake tīrtha-sevā (pilgrimage/service at holy places) rather than relying solely on dāna, tapas, or vrata.