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

ഹേ വീരാ! പന്ത്രണ്ടുവർഷത്തെ ഈ മഹായാത്ര അനുഷ്ഠിക്കുമ്പോൾ നീ ക്ഷീണിക്കുന്നില്ലല്ലോ? അല്ലെങ്കിൽ കോപിക്കുന്നതുമില്ലല്ലോ?

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.