Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

तत्र तीर्थे पुनर्गत्वा तपः कृत्वा सुदुष्करम् । पूजयित्वा द्विजान्भक्त्या यास्येते द्वारकां पुनः

Transliteration

tatra tīrthe punargatvā tapaḥ kṛtvā suduṣkaram | pūjayitvā dvijānbhaktyā yāsyete dvārakāṃ punaḥ

Translation

അവിടെത്തന്നെയുള്ള തീർത്ഥത്തിലേക്ക് വീണ്ടും പോയി അവർ അത്യന്തം ദുഷ്കരമായ തപസ്സ് ചെയ്യും; ഭക്തിയോടെ ദ്വിജന്മാരെ പൂജിച്ച് വീണ്ടും ദ്വാരകയിലേക്കു പോകും।

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Locative adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक/adverb)

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/place
• तीर्थे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (absolutive/gerund)

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object of absolutive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; 'कृत्वा' इत्यस्य कर्म

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (absolutive/gerund)

• सुदुष्करम्: very difficult
• सुदुष्करम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; 'तपः' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• पूजयित्वा: having worshipped/honoured
• पूजयित्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (absolutive/gerund); ल्यप्-आदेश (पूजयित्वा)

• द्विजान्: Brahmins (twice-born)
• द्विजान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• यास्येते: they two will go
• यास्येते: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल/future), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन

• द्वारकाम्: to Dvārakā
• द्वारकाम्: Karma (Goal as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā; plus an unnamed tīrtha previously referenced

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims/divine brothers at a riverside or sacred ford performing austerities; then honoring brāhmaṇas with offerings; finally a sea-girt golden Dvārakā on the horizon as they depart/arrive.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha (Yojaneśvara)
• Dvārakā
• Dvija (Brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tīrtha practice joins austerity with humility—honoring the learned and living a life of devotion alongside pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha under discussion in the chapter—Yojaneśvara—linked here to the onward journey to Dvārakā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing severe tapas at the tīrtha and worshipping/honoring dvijas (brāhmaṇas) with devotion.