Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

तीर्थानुगमनं कृत्वा भिक्षाहारा जितेंद्रियाः । प्राप्नुवंति महादेवि तीर्थे दशगुणं फलम्

Transliteration

tīrthānugamanaṃ kṛtvā bhikṣāhārā jiteṃdriyāḥ | prāpnuvaṃti mahādevi tīrthe daśaguṇaṃ phalam

Translation

ഹേ മഹാദേവീ, തീർത്ഥയാത്ര ചെയ്ത് ഭിക്ഷാഹാരത്തിൽ ജീവിച്ച് ഇന്ദ്രിയങ്ങളെ ജയിച്ചവർ, ആ തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ പത്തിരട്ടിയുള്ള ഫലം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तीर्थ-अनुगमनम्: following/going after the tīrthas (pilgrimage)
• तीर्थ-अनुगमनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुगमन (प्रातिपदिक; √गम् (धातु) उपसर्गः अनु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (तीर्थस्य अनुगमनम्)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• भिक्षा-आहाराः: those whose food is alms
• भिक्षा-आहाराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिक्षा (प्रातिपदिक) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (भिक्षायाः आहारः)

• जित-इन्द्रियाः: sense-controlled
• जित-इन्द्रियाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित (कृदन्त; √जि (धातु) क्त) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (येषाम् इन्द्रियाणि जितानि ते)

• प्राप्नुवन्ति: attain
• प्राप्नुवन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आप् (धातु) उपसर्गः प्र
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• तीर्थे: in the tīrtha
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• दश-गुणम्: tenfold
• दश-गुणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (संख्या) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः (दश गुणाः यस्य तत्)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvarī (Pārvatī) or a Devī addressed as 'Mahādevī' (contextual narrator within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (vocative: mahādevi)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ascetic-like pilgrims approach Prabhāsa with begging bowls, modest cloth, and lowered gaze; they receive simple alms from villagers, then proceed to the tīrtha with controlled senses, suggesting tenfold merit.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādevī (addressed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage becomes spiritually potent when joined with austerity—simplicity, alms-living, and control of the senses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The statement applies to tīrthas generally, within the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertake tīrtha-yātrā with bhikṣāhāra (alms as food) and jitendriyatā (sense-restraint) to gain increased merit.