Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 122

Devanagari script

तीर्थयात्रां प्रकुर्वंति दंभेन कपटेन च । तीर्थे मृता न सिध्यंति ते नरा वरवर्णिनि

Transliteration

tīrthayātrāṃ prakurvaṃti daṃbhena kapaṭena ca | tīrthe mṛtā na sidhyaṃti te narā varavarṇini

Translation

അവർ ദംഭവും കപടവും കൊണ്ട് തീർത്ഥയാത്ര നടത്തുന്നു; ഹേ വരവർണിനി! തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ മരിച്ചാലും അത്തരം നരർ സിദ്ധി പ്രാപിക്കുകയില്ല.

Word by Word

• तीर्थयात्राम्: pilgrimage to a sacred place
• तीर्थयात्राम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ-यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तीर्थस्य यात्रा)

• प्रकुर्वन्ति: they perform
• प्रकुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• दंभेन: with hypocrisy/ostentation
• दंभेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दंभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• कपटेन: with deceit
• कपटेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक निपात (conjunction)

• तीर्थे: at a sacred place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• मृताः: (those) dead
• मृताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त; √मृ धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (नराः)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• सिध्यन्ति: they succeed/attain fulfillment
• सिध्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सिध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• ते: those
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• नराः: men/people
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• वरवर्णिनि: O fair-complexioned (lady)
• वरवर्णिनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरवर्णिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (वरा च सा वर्णिनी)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A procession of pilgrims with showy banners and proud faces enters the tīrtha; behind them, a humble devotee with folded hands is bathed in a soft aura. A funeral pyre near the riverbank underscores the line ‘even if they die at the tīrtha’.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha-yātrā
• Devī
• Prabhāsa (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External pilgrimage without sincerity does not yield spiritual success; intention and integrity are decisive.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is set in Prabhāsa Māhātmya while speaking generally about tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoid daṃbha (show) and kapaṭa (deceit) in tīrtha-yātrā; approach with genuine devotion and dharma.