Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

तत्रागतो द्विजः कश्चित्क्षेत्रे तापसरूपधृक् । तीर्थयात्राप्रसंगेन रात्रौ प्राप्तः श्रमान्वितः

Transliteration

tatrāgato dvijaḥ kaścitkṣetre tāpasarūpadhṛk | tīrthayātrāprasaṃgena rātrau prāptaḥ śramānvitaḥ

Translation

അവിടെ ആ പുണ്യക്ഷേത്രത്തിലേക്ക് ഒരു ദ്വിജൻ വന്നു; അദ്ദേഹം തപസ്വിയുടെ രൂപം ധരിച്ചിരുന്നു. തീർത്ഥയാത്രയുടെ അവസരത്തിൽ അദ്ദേഹം രാത്രിയിൽ അവിടെ എത്തി, ശ്രമത്തിൽ ക്ഷീണിതനായി.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• आगतः: having come, arrived
• आगतः: Karta-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √गम् (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विजः इति विशेषणम्

• द्विजः: a Brahmin
• द्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कश्चित्: someone, a certain
• कश्चित्: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite pronoun)

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred field/place
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तापसरूपधृक्: wearing the form of an ascetic
• तापसरूपधृक्: Karta-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तापस-रूप-धृक् (प्रातिपदिक; √धृ (धातु) + क्विप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (तापसस्य रूपं धृक् = धारयन्)

• तीर्थयात्राप्रसंगेन: due to the occasion of pilgrimage
• तीर्थयात्राप्रसंगेन: Hetu/Karana (Cause/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ-यात्रा-प्रसङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (तीर्थयात्रायाः प्रसङ्गः)

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (Temporal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्राप्तः: having reached
• प्राप्तः: Karta-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √आप्/√प्राप् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग) + क्त
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विजः इति विशेषणम्

• श्रम-अन्वितः: accompanied by fatigue, tired
• श्रम-अन्वितः: Karta-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रम-अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (श्रमेन अन्वितः)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ajāgṛha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa pilgrim in ascetic garb arrives at Ajāgṛha at night, weary, carrying a staff/waterpot, looking for a safe resting place near the sacred spot.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija (brāhmaṇa pilgrim)
• Tīrthayātrā (pilgrimage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage (tīrthayātrā) places the seeker into sacred encounters; fatigue and hardship become part of dharmic travel and its fruits.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The kṣetra associated with Ajāgṛha, where the legend’s pilgrim arrives.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse situates the merit-bearing act of tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage).