Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

तेऽपि सर्वे मुनिश्रेष्ठाः खेचरत्व समन्विताः । तपःशक्त्या यांति नानातीर्थेषु भक्तितः

Transliteration

te'pi sarve muniśreṣṭhāḥ khecaratva samanvitāḥ | tapaḥśaktyā yāṃti nānātīrtheṣu bhaktitaḥ

Translation

ആ മുണിശ്രേഷ്ഠന്മാരും—ആകാശഗമനശക്തിയോടെ സമന്വിതരായി—തപശ്ശക്തിയുടെ ബലത്തിൽ ഭക്തിയോടെ അനേകം തീർത്ഥങ്ങളിലേക്കു സഞ്ചരിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थ (also)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• मुनिश्रेष्ठाः: best of sages
• मुनिश्रेष्ठाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मुनीनाम् श्रेष्ठाः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• खेचरत्वम्: the state of moving in the sky (sky-going nature)
• खेचरत्वम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खेचर (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; भाववाचक तद्धित (त्व)

• समन्विताः: endowed with, possessed of
• समन्विताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अन्वि (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; धातु: अन्वि (अन्वये) उपसर्ग: सम्

• तपःशक्त्या: by the power of austerity
• तपःशक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तपसः शक्तिः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• यान्ति: they go
• यान्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; धातु: या (गत्यर्थे)

• नाना: various
• नाना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विविधत्ववाचक (various) — समासपूर्वपदवत् प्रयोगः

• तीर्थेषु: in (various) sacred places
• तीर्थेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन

• भक्तितः: out of devotion
• भक्तितः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb); ‘भक्तितः’ = भक्त्या/भक्त्या हेतोः (from devotion/through devotion)

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Radiant sages, light as wind, traverse the sky between rivers and shrines; below are forests, ghāṭas, and temple spires—an aerial map of sacred India.

Characters & Entities

• Munis
• Tīrthas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is elevated by tapas and devotion; holy travel becomes a disciplined spiritual practice, not mere movement.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse speaks of “many tīrthas” in general; specific sites are not listed in this shloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

General tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage) undertaken with bhakti, supported by tapas (austerity).