Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

तीर्थयात्रां गता विप्रा मार्कण्डेयो गृहं ययौ । गत्वा गृहमथोवाच मृकण्डं मुनिसत्तमम्

Transliteration

tīrthayātrāṃ gatā viprā mārkaṇḍeyo gṛhaṃ yayau | gatvā gṛhamathovāca mṛkaṇḍaṃ munisattamam

Translation

विप्र-मुनी तीर्थयात्रेस गेले असता मार्कण्डेय घरी गेला; घरी पोहोचून त्याने मुनिश्रेष्ठ मृकण्डूंना सांगितले.

Word by Word

• tīrthayātrām: pilgrimage to sacred places
• tīrthayātrām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + yātrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (tīrthasya yātrā)

• gatāḥ: having gone
• gatāḥ: Karta-visheshaṇa (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gata (कृदन्त; √gam)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

• viprāḥ: brahmins
• viprāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• mārkaṇḍeyaḥ: Mārkaṇḍeya
• mārkaṇḍeyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārkaṇḍeya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• gṛham: home
• gṛham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• yayau: went
• yayau: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• gatvā: having gone
• gatvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• gṛham: to the house/home
• gṛham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• atha: then
• atha: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक (then/thereupon)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• mṛkaṇḍam: to Mṛkaṇḍa
• mṛkaṇḍam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛkaṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• munisattamam: the best of sages
• munisattamam: Karma (Apposition to object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक) + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-तत्पुरुषार्थे (श्रेष्ठो मुनिः)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration within Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: प्रभासक्षेत्र (प्रस्थान-भूमिः)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: महात्म्य-श्रोता

Visual Art Cues

Scene: ऋषयः तीर्थयात्रायै प्रस्थिताः; बालः मार्कण्डेयः एकाकी गृहं/आश्रमं गच्छति; मृकण्डुं प्रणम्य वदति—कथारम्भ-क्षणः।

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Mṛkaṇḍu
• Sages (Vipras)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage and the transmission of sacred experiences to one’s teacher/parent-sage are integral to dharmic life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader section glorifies Prabhāsa-kṣetra while referencing tīrtha-yātrā as a dharmic practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it mentions tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage) as an ongoing practice.