Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

तीर्थानुगमनं पद्भ्यां तपःपरमिहोच्यते । तदेव कृत्वा यानेन स्नानमात्रफलं लभेत्

Transliteration

tīrthānugamanaṃ padbhyāṃ tapaḥparamihocyate | tadeva kṛtvā yānena snānamātraphalaṃ labhet

Translation

Suivre à pied la voie des tīrthas est proclamé ici comme l’austérité suprême. Mais si l’on accomplit ce même trajet en véhicule, on n’obtient que le fruit du bain.

Word by Word

• तीर्थ: pilgrimage-place
• तीर्थ: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• अनुगमनम्: going on pilgrimage
• अनुगमनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुगमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तीर्थ-अनुगमन (तत्पुरुष: 'going to/following a tīrtha')

• पद्भ्याम्: by (one's) feet
• पद्भ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), द्विवचन

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (तपः)

• इह: here (in this context/world)
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय

• उच्यते: is said
• उच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √कृ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund): 'having done'

• यानेन: by a vehicle
• यानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• स्नान: bathing
• स्नान: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• मात्र: mere, only
• मात्र: —
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासमध्यपद (in compound)

• फलम्: the fruit (result)
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; स्नान-मात्र-फल (तत्पुरुष: 'fruit consisting of only bathing')

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

Speaker

Īśvarī (Pārvatī) or a Devī addressed as 'Īśvari' (contextual narrator within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśvarī/Mahādevī (addressed in adjacent verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A line of pilgrims walks barefoot along a dusty coastal road toward Prabhāsa, carrying water-pots and staffs; beside them a chariot/cart passes, visually marking the doctrinal contrast between pāda-yātrā tapas and conveyance travel.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity intensifies merit; walking to a tīrtha is praised as superior tapas compared to comfortable travel.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The principle is stated for tīrtha-yātrā generally, within the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prefer pāda-yātrā (pilgrimage on foot) for highest merit; vehicle travel yields comparatively reduced फल.