Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12
माता तीर्थं पिता तीर्थं तीर्थ साधुसमागमः । धर्मानुचिंतनं चैव तथैव नियमो यमः
mātā tīrthaṃ pitā tīrthaṃ tīrtha sādhusamāgamaḥ | dharmānuciṃtanaṃ caiva tathaiva niyamo yamaḥ
മാതാവ് തീർത്ഥം, പിതാവ് തീർത്ഥം, സാദുസംഗമവും തീർത്ഥം. ധർമ്മാനുചിന്തനവും, യമ-നിയമരൂപ സംയമവും ആചരണവും കൂടി തീർത്ഥമാണ്।
Īśvara (Śiva)
Tirtha: Antar-tīrtha (inner tīrtha) doctrine (conceptual)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Varārohe (Devī/Pārvatī implied)
Scene: A teaching tableau where ‘tīrtha’ is shown as mother and father receiving reverence, saints gathered in discourse, and a practitioner observing restraint and observances.
FAQs
Pilgrimage is internalized: honoring parents, seeking saintly company, and practicing ethical discipline are themselves powerful tīrthas.
No single location; the verse expands tīrtha to include persons and practices—parents, satsanga, dharma-thought, yama-niyama.
Practice yama (restraints) and niyama (observances), and cultivate ongoing contemplation of dharma.