Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

तन्मुक्तिक्षेत्रमाज्ञाय गमनाय मतिं दधे । सोतीत्य नगरग्रामानुद्यानानि वनानि च

Transliteration

tanmuktikṣetramājñāya gamanāya matiṃ dadhe | sotītya nagaragrāmānudyānāni vanāni ca

Translation

Ayant reconnu en ce lieu un kṣetra sacré qui confère la délivrance, un mukti-kṣetra, il prit la résolution de s’y rendre. Dépassant villes et villages, jardins et forêts, il poursuivit sa route.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Determiner)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = neuter accusative singular (determinative)

• मुक्तिक्षेत्रम्: the place of liberation
• मुक्तिक्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object of knowing)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मुक्तेः क्षेत्रम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = neuter, accusative singular

• आज्ञाय: having known
• आज्ञाय: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ज्ञा (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त = gerund (having known)

• गमनाय: for going
• गमनाय: Sampradāna/Prayojana (for going)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन = neuter, dative singular

• मतिम्: intention/mind
• मतिम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = feminine, accusative singular

• दधे: he placed/formed
• दधे: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √धा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्ण), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन = perfect, 3rd person singular (middle)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन = pronoun, masculine nominative singular

• उतीत्य: having passed beyond
• उतीत्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत् + √इ (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त = gerund (having gone forth/passed)

• नगरग्रामान्: towns and villages
• नगरग्रामान्: Karma (Objects traversed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नगर (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (नगराणि च ग्रामाश्च); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन = masculine accusative plural

• उद्यानानि: gardens
• उद्यानानि: Karma (Objects traversed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन = neuter accusative plural

• वनानि: forests
• वनानि: Karma (Objects traversed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन = neuter accusative plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Deductive (Dvārakā Māhātmya narration; traditionally Sūta speaking to the sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā mukti-kṣetra (with Cakratīrtha as focal tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied audience; prior address to dvijāḥ continues contextually

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage, having understood the place as a liberation-giving kṣetra, sets out; a travel montage shows him moving past towns, villages, gardens, and forests toward the sacred coast.

Characters & Entities

• Mukti-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Recognizing a true mokṣa-kṣetra inspires decisive renunciation and purposeful pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse points generally to a mukti-kṣetra within the Dvārakā Māhātmya setting, leading into the Cakratīrtha episode later in the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here; the emphasis is on resolving to undertake the pilgrimage.