Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

तीर्थयात्रां ततो गच्छ यावद्द्वादशवत्सरान् । ततः पापविनिर्मुक्तः समेष्यसि ममांतिकम्

Transliteration

tīrthayātrāṃ tato gaccha yāvaddvādaśavatsarān | tataḥ pāpavinirmuktaḥ sameṣyasi mamāṃtikam

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം പന്ത്രണ്ടു വർഷം തീർത്ഥയാത്ര ചെയ്യുക; പിന്നെ പാപവിമുക്തനായി നീ വീണ്ടും എന്റെ സന്നിധിയിലേക്കു വരും।

Word by Word

• तीर्थ-यात्राम्: pilgrimage to sacred places
• तीर्थ-यात्राम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + yātrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुषः (तीर्थेषु यात्रा); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; गच्छ इति क्रियायाः कर्म

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अपादानार्थक (indeclinable: “then/thereafter/from there”)

• गच्छ: go
• गच्छ: Kriya (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• यावत्: up to / for as long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Limit)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अवधिबोधक (indeclinable: “as long as / up to”)

• द्वादश-वत्सरान्: twelve years
• द्वादश-वत्सरान्: Karma (Duration/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvādaśa (संख्या) + vatsara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः द्विगुः (द्वादश वत्सराः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; कालपरिमाणे (accusative of duration)

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमबोधक (thereafter)

• पाप-विनिर्मुक्तः: freed from sin
• पाप-विनिर्मुक्तः: Visheshana (State of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + vi-nir√muc (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुषः (पापात् विनिर्मुक्तः); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; त्वं-विशेषणम् (predicative adjective)

• समेष्यसि: you will come
• समेष्यसि: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam√i (धातु; भविष्यत् stem: एष्य-)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future/भविष्यत्), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (genitive), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे (of me/my)

• अन्तिकम्: near (vicinity)
• अन्तिकम्: Karma (Goal/गन्तव्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; गत्यर्थकक्रियायां देशकर्म (accusative of goal: “to the vicinity”)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tīrtha-yātrā (dvādaśa-varṣa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yudhiṣṭhira gives a solemn directive: Arjuna is shown receiving the twelve-year vow of pilgrimage; behind them, a symbolic map-like procession of rivers, ghats, temples, and mountains suggests the long journey and eventual return.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Arjuna
• Tīrthas (general)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sustained pilgrimage is presented as a powerful purificatory discipline that removes sin and restores one to dharmic harmony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises tīrtha-yātrā in general; the specific tīrthas are implied to be described subsequently.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A time-bound religious observance: undertaking tīrtha-yātrā for twelve years as a form of purification.