Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

भवन्तोऽपि विधानेन यात्रां कुर्वंतु सत्तमाः । अस्माद्गुप्तहरेः स्थानान्निकटे संगमे शुभे

Transliteration

bhavanto'pi vidhānena yātrāṃ kurvaṃtu sattamāḥ | asmādguptahareḥ sthānānnikaṭe saṃgame śubhe

Translation

നിങ്ങളും, ഹേ സത്തമന്മാരേ, വിധിപ്രകാരം യാത്ര നിർവഹിക്കുവിൻ—ഈ ഗുപ്തഹരിയുടെ സ്ഥാനത്തിന് സമീപമുള്ള ആ ശുഭ സംഗമത്തിനരികെ।

Word by Word

• bhavantaḥ: you (honored ones)
• bhavantaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavant (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; आदरार्थक-सम्बोधनार्थे अपि प्रयुज्यते

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (also)

• vidhānena: by the prescribed procedure
• vidhānena: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• yātrām: pilgrimage/journey
• yātrām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yātrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• kurvantu: let (them/you) do
• kurvantu: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• sattamāḥ: O best of the good
• sattamāḥ: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative sense/सम्बोधनार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक) + tama (प्रत्यय) → sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; अतिशयवाचक (superlative)

• asmāt: from this
• asmāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• gupta-hareḥ: of the hidden Hari
• gupta-hareḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gupta (प्रातिपदिक) + hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (gupta-hari = ‘hidden Hari’)

• sthānāt: from the place
• sthānāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• nikaṭe: near
• nikaṭe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nikaṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• saṃgame: at the confluence/meeting-place
• saṃgame: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃgama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• śubhe: auspicious
• śubhe: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘saṃgame’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced: Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa context—Brahmā addressing Nārada)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śubha-saṅgama near Guptahari-sthāna

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small group of sādhus and householders walking with staffs and waterpots toward a river confluence; a sign-like sacred marker indicates ‘Guptahari-sthāna’ nearby; the rivers meet in a bright, auspicious swirl.

Characters & Entities

• Guptahari (Viṣṇu)
• Saṅgama (confluence)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage gains full merit when done with proper observance and awareness of the sacred geography around holy shrines.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Guptahari’s sacred place in Ayodhyā, situated near an auspicious saṅgama (river confluence).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

To undertake yātrā (pilgrimage) vidhānena—according to prescribed procedure—centered on Guptahari’s sthāna and the nearby saṅgama.