Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

कच्चिदेतां महायात्रां वीर द्वादशवारषिकीम् । आचरन्खिद्यसे नैवमथ वा कुप्यसे न च

Transliteration

kaccidetāṃ mahāyātrāṃ vīra dvādaśavāraṣikīm | ācarankhidyase naivamatha vā kupyase na ca

Translation

Wahai pahlawan, ketika engkau menjalani mahāyātrā, ziarah suci selama dua belas tahun ini, apakah engkau tidak menjadi letih—atau tidak pula dikuasai amarah?

Word by Word

• कच्चित्: is it the case that...?
• कच्चित्: Sambandha (Interrogative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कच्चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रश्नार्थक निपात (interrogative particle: whether/indeed?)

• एताम्: this
• एताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• महायात्राम्: great pilgrimage/journey
• महायात्राम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महती यात्रा), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वीर: O hero
• वीर: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• द्वादशवार्षिकीम्: lasting twelve years
• द्वादशवार्षिकीम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + वार्षिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (द्वादश-वर्षाणि यस्याः सा), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (यात्रायाः)

• आचरन्: practicing/undertaking
• आचरन्: Karta (Agent qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-√चर् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि (while practicing)

• खिद्यसे: you become weary/are distressed
• खिद्यसे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √खिद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (negation)

• एवम्: thus/so
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb: thus/so)

• अथ: or else/then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विकल्प/अनुक्रमार्थक (then/else)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Disjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विकल्पार्थक (or)

• कुप्यसे: you get angry
• कुप्यसे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कुप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक (and)

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahāyātrā (dvādaśa-vārṣikī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada, compassionate, questions Arjuna about fatigue and anger during a twelve-year pilgrimage; Arjuna appears travel-worn yet composed, with staff/bow and minimal possessions.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Vīra (Arjuna)
• Mahāyātrā (pilgrimage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is tapas: endurance without fatigue and restraint without anger are marks of a successful sacred journey.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named; the verse highlights the discipline of a long tīrtha-yātrā rather than one location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied prescription is sustained observance of a yātrā-vrata (pilgrimage vow) over twelve years with self-control.