Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

वचसा मनसा चैव जिह्वया करश्रोत्रकैः । दांतमाहुर्हि सत्तीर्थं काकतीर्थमतः परम्

Transliteration

vacasā manasā caiva jihvayā karaśrotrakaiḥ | dāṃtamāhurhi sattīrthaṃ kākatīrthamataḥ param

Translation

വാക്ക്, മനസ്, നാവ്, കൈകൾ, ചെവികൾ—ഇവയുടെ സംയമം തന്നെയാണ് യഥാർത്ഥ ‘സത്-തീർത്ഥം’ എന്ന് പ്രസിദ്ധം; അതിന് അപ്പുറം ‘കാക-തീർത്ഥം’ മാത്രം, ഹീനവും അശുദ്ധവുമായ ആശ്രയം।

Word by Word

• vacasā: by speech
• vacasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular (by speech/word)

• manasā: by mind
• manasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular (by mind)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• jihvayā: by the tongue
• jihvayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jihvā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular (by the tongue)

• karaśrotrakaiḥ: by hands and ears
• karaśrotrakaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kara (प्रातिपदिक) + śrotraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्वसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्व), तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural (by hands and ears)

• dāṃtam: ‘dānta’ (the restrained/controlled; lit. tooth)
• dāṃtam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dānta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — Accusative singular (the ‘dānta’/restrained one or ‘tooth’ as named)

• āhuḥ: they call/they say
• āhuḥ: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — 3rd person plural perfect (they have said/call)

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चयार्थक-निपात (particle: indeed/for)

• sattīrtham: the true sacred ford (holy place)
• sattīrtham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक) + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/प्रत्ययार्थ), एकवचन — Accusative singular (as ‘true/holy tīrtha’)

• kākatīrtham: the crow-tīrtha
• kākatīrtham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāka (प्रातिपदिक) + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular (crow-tīrtha)

• ataḥ: therefore/from this
• ataḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, हेत्वर्थ/तस्मात्-अर्थ (adverb: therefore/from this)

• param: higher/supreme
• param: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular; विशेषण (qualifying kākatīrtham: ‘higher/supreme’)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sat-tīrtha (inner tīrtha of self-control) contrasted with Kāka-tīrtha (debased resort)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stands at a riverbank while a luminous inner ‘ford’ appears at the heart; five senses are depicted as gates being restrained; a crow hovers near muddy water while a swan glides on clear water, symbolizing kāka vs haṃsa.

Characters & Entities

• Sat-tīrtha
• Kāka-tīrtha (metaphor)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True pilgrimage is inner restraint—controlling speech, mind, and senses—rather than merely seeking external holy places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No geographic tīrtha is named; ‘sat-tīrtha’ is defined as self-control itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied practice is sense-restraint (yama/niyama-like discipline), not a specific ceremonial ritual.