Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

मुनीनामपि चेतांसि तीर्थयात्रासु पांडव । खिद्यंति परिकृप्यंति श्रेयसां विघ्नमूलतः

Transliteration

munīnāmapi cetāṃsi tīrthayātrāsu pāṃḍava | khidyaṃti parikṛpyaṃti śreyasāṃ vighnamūlataḥ

Translation

ഹേ പാണ്ഡവാ! തീർത്ഥയാത്രകളിൽ മുനിമാരുടെ മനസ്സുകളും ഖിന്നവും വ്യാകുലവും ആകുന്നു; കാരണം ശ്രേയസ്സിന്റെ മൂലത്തിൽ തന്നെയാണ് വിഘ്നങ്ങൾ ഉദ്ഭവിക്കുന്നത്।

Word by Word

• मुनीनाम्: of sages
• मुनीनाम्: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अप्यर्थ/समुच्चय (also/even)

• चेतांसि: minds
• चेतांसि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तीर्थयात्रासु: in pilgrimages to sacred places
• तीर्थयात्रासु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (तीर्थस्य यात्रा), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• पाण्डव: O Pāṇḍava
• पाण्डव: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• खिद्यन्ति: become weary
• खिद्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √खिद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद

• परिकृप्यन्ति: become dejected/feel distress
• परिकृप्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-√कृप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद

• श्रेयसाम्: of auspicious goals/benefits
• श्रेयसाम्: Sambandha (Related to)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• विघ्नमूलतः: due to the root/cause of obstacles
• विघ्नमूलतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विघ्न (प्रातिपदिक) + मूल (प्रातिपदिक) + तः (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (विघ्नस्य मूलम्), तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb: from/because of)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍava (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada explains that even sages become weary on pilgrimage due to obstacles; the sages’ faces show empathetic recognition, while Arjuna listens with sober attention.

Characters & Entities

• Pāṇḍava
• muni
• tīrtha-yātrā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage itself can trigger trials; perseverance and inner steadiness are essential for true śreyas (spiritual welfare).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it speaks generally about the pilgrim-path and its obstacles.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the focus is on the psychological and karmic difficulties that arise during tīrtha-yātrā.