Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

आयास्यंत्यां शिवतिथौ गच्छतो बुबुधेऽध्वगान् । तस्यां तु देवयात्रायां देशदेशांतयायिनाम्

Transliteration

āyāsyaṃtyāṃ śivatithau gacchato bubudhe'dhvagān | tasyāṃ tu devayātrāyāṃ deśadeśāṃtayāyinām

Translation

പുണ്യമായ ശിവതിഥിയിൽ യാത്ര പുറപ്പെടുമ്പോൾ, വഴിയിൽ പോകുന്ന യാത്രക്കാരെ അവൾ ശ്രദ്ധിച്ചു. ആ ദേവയാത്രയ്ക്കായി ദേശദേശാന്തരങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നുമുള്ളവർ യാത്രചെയ്ത് എത്തി.

Word by Word

• आयास्यन्त्याम्: when (it) was approaching
• आयास्यन्त्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative absolute setting)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-यास् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ/शानच् वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन; ‘आयास्यन्ती’ = coming/approaching; लोके सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• शिव: auspicious
• शिव: Visheshana (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासे पूर्वपद; ‘auspicious’

• तिथौ: on an auspicious lunar day
• तिथौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः: शिवा तिथिः → शिवतिथिः; अधिकरण (time)

• गच्छतः: of (her) going
• गच्छतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ वर्तमानकृदन्त; षष्ठी एकवचन (genitive) / प्रायः ‘of (her) going’; ‘गच्छत्’ = going

• बुबुधे: noticed/realized
• बुबुधे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बुध् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत) आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; ‘bubudhe’ = noticed/understood

• अध्वगान्: travellers/wayfarers
• अध्वगान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्वग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः: अध्वनि गच्छन्ति इति अध्वगाः (travellers); कर्म (object of noticing)

• तस्याम्: in that
• तस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/Context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन; सर्वनाम; अधिकरण (in that)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधसूचक निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• देव: divine
• देव: Sambandha (within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासे पूर्वपद; ‘god/divine’

• यात्रायाम्: in the pilgrimage
• यात्रायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/Occasion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः: देवानां यात्रā → देवयात्रा; अधिकरण (in the pilgrimage)

• देश: region
• देश: Sambandha (within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासे पूर्वपद; ‘region/country’

• देशान्त: other regions
• देशान्त: Sambandha (within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देशान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: देशस्य अन्तः → देशान्तः; समासे मध्यपद

• यायिनाम्: of those travelling from region to region
• यायिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक ‘यायिन्’ (going/travelling); पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः: देशदेशान्तं यायिनः → देशदेशान्तयायिनः; षष्ठी (of those who travel)

Speaker

Narrator (context not specified in snippet; likely the Purāṇic narrator in Brahmakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śiva-tithi Devayātrā (unspecified destination)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A road filled with pilgrims moving like a river; banners and Śiva symbols appear; the old woman watches as realization dawns that this is a divine journey on a sacred day.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred time (Śiva-tithi) draws devotees into pilgrimage, suggesting that holy observances can transform even bleak lives.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A ‘devayātrā’ is mentioned, but the destination tīrtha is not named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance of a Śiva-tithi is implied, but no specific vrata details are given here.