Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

आरेभिरे क्रियायोगं मार्कंडनृपपूर्वकाः । तेषां तपस्यतामेवं समाजग्मे कदाचन । तीर्थयात्रानुषंगेन लोमशालोकनोत्सुकः

Transliteration

ārebhire kriyāyogaṃ mārkaṃḍanṛpapūrvakāḥ | teṣāṃ tapasyatāmevaṃ samājagme kadācana | tīrthayātrānuṣaṃgena lomaśālokanotsukaḥ

Translation

മാർകണ്ഡ രാജാവിനെ മുൻനിർത്തി അവർ ക്രിയായോഗസാധന ആരംഭിച്ചു. അവർ ഇങ്ങനെ തപസ്സിൽ ലീനരായിരിക്കെ, ഒരിക്കൽ തീർത്ഥയാത്രയുടെ അനുബന്ധമായി ലോമശൻ അവരെ കാണാൻ ആകാംക്ഷയോടെ അവിടെ എത്തി.

Word by Word

• आरेभिरे: they began
• आरेभिरे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + रभ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• क्रियायोगम्: discipline of rites / ritual practice
• क्रियायोगम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक) + योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (क्रियायाः योगः)

• मार्कण्डनृपपूर्वकाः: with King Mārkaṇḍa at the head
• मार्कण्डनृपपूर्वकाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मार्कण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषः (मार्कण्ड-नृपः पूर्वकः येषाम्)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• तपस्यताम्: while they were performing austerities
• तपस्यताम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तपस् (धातु: तप्)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक-कृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्यय, present active participle) ‘तपस्यत्’; षष्ठी-बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-vishesana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb)

• समाजग्मे: came together / arrived
• समाजग्मे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• कदाचन: at some time / once
• कदाचन: Kriya-vishesana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम् (temporal adverb)

• तीर्थयात्रानुषङ्गेन: by/through the occasion of a pilgrimage
• तीर्थयात्रानुषङ्गेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुषङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (तीर्थयात्रायाः अनुषङ्गः)

• लोमशालोकनोत्सुकः: eager to see Lomaśa
• लोमशालोकनोत्सुकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोमश (प्रातिपदिक) + आलोकन (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्सुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषः (लोमशस्य आलोकने उत्सुकः)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; within Nārada’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Phālguna (addressed in surrounding narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An ascetic encampment: King Mārkaṇḍa and companions engaged in kriyā-yoga and austerities; the sage Lomaśa arrives with a pilgrim’s staff, waterpot, and dust of many tīrthas on his feet.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍa-nṛpa
• Lomaśa
• Tīrtha-yātrā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage and disciplined practice (kriyā-yoga, tapas) are strengthened by the guidance and visitation of great sages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tīrtha-yātrā is mentioned generally; no single sacred site is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kriyā-yoga (structured religious discipline) and tapas (austerity) are the prescribed modes of practice.