Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

एवमुक्त्वा ततस्तौ तु प्रस्थितौ मुनिपार्थिवौ । व्योममार्गेण संतुष्टौ बकं प्रति हिमाचले

Transliteration

evamuktvā tatastau tu prasthitau munipārthivau | vyomamārgeṇa saṃtuṣṭau bakaṃ prati himācale

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ പറഞ്ഞ ശേഷം മുനിയും രാജാവും സന്തുഷ്ടരായി ആകാശമാർഗ്ഗം വഴി ഹിമാചലത്തിലെ ബകനെ ലക്ഷ്യമാക്കി പുറപ്പെട്ടു.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); ‘having said’

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदनन्तरं (then/thereupon)

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, द्विवचन

• तु: indeed, but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/विरोध (but/indeed)

• प्रस्थितौ: having set out
• प्रस्थितौ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + sthā (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, द्विवचन; ‘departed/started’

• मुनि-पार्थिवौ: the sage and the king (the two)
• मुनि-पार्थिवौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni + pārthiva (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (मुनिश्च पार्थिवश्च)

• व्योम-मार्गेण: by the sky-path, through the air
• व्योम-मार्गेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyoman + mārga (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (व्योम्नः मार्गः)

• संतुष्टौ: pleased, content
• संतुष्टौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam + tuṣ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, द्विवचन; विशेषण (तौ)

• बकम्: Baka
• बकम्: Karma (Goal-object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: baka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: Dik/Prayojana (Direction/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गसदृश-निपात (towards)

• हिमाचले: on/at Himālaya
• हिमाचले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: himācala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (narrative voice; surrounding context includes Sūta narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Baka (Himācala)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage and a king travel through the sky toward a Himalayan hermitage named Baka; snowy peaks and cloud-paths frame their purposeful movement.

Characters & Entities

• Baka
• Himālaya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharmic resolve is followed by purposeful movement—seekers travel to the right teacher/place to remove doubt.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Himālaya sacred landscape is evoked; no named tirtha is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates the pilgrimage-like movement toward a holy person.