Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

एवं सर्वेषु तीर्थेषु तथा ह्यायतनेषु च । स्नातव्यं भक्तियुक्तेन चेतसा नान्यगामिना

Transliteration

evaṃ sarveṣu tīrtheṣu tathā hyāyataneṣu ca | snātavyaṃ bhaktiyuktena cetasā nānyagāminā

Translation

ଏଭଳି ସମସ୍ତ ତୀର୍ଥରେ ଏବଂ ସେହିପରି ପବିତ୍ର ଆୟତନ/ମନ୍ଦିରରେ, ଭକ୍ତିଯୁକ୍ତ ଓ ଅନ୍ୟତ୍ର ନ ଭ୍ରମଣଶୀଳ ଚିତ୍ତରେ ସ୍ନାନ କରିବା ଉଚିତ।

Word by Word

• evaṃ: thus
• evaṃ: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evaṃ (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारार्थक-अव्यय

• sarveṣu: in all
• sarveṣu: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying tīrtheṣu)

• tīrtheṣu: in sacred places
• tīrtheṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: तथार्थक-अव्यय (likewise)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ (indeed/for)

• āyataneṣu: in shrines/abodes
• āyataneṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āyatana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• snātavyam: one should bathe
• snātavyam: Kriyā (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: snā (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (तव्यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-भावः (gerundive: 'should be bathed')

• bhakti-yuktena: with devotion-endowed
• bhakti-yuktena: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक) + yukta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √yuj)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying cetasā)

• cetasā: with the mind
• cetasā: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cetas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• anya-gāminā: not going elsewhere; undistracted
• anya-gāminā: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक) + gāmin (प्रातिपदिक; from √gam)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying cetasā); 'अन्यत्र गच्छति' इति

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee stands at a tīrtha-ghāṭa with eyes half-closed, hands in añjali, then enters the water slowly while repeating a mantra; around them, the world is muted, showing the ‘not wandering mind’. Nearby, a shrine (āyatana) indicates parallel sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• tīrtha
• āyatana (shrine)
• bhakti
• snāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The efficacy of pilgrimage is completed by inner posture: devotion and one-pointedness make the outer rite spiritually fruitful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

All tīrthas and āyatanas collectively; the verse provides a universal rule for sacred bathing rather than a site-specific eulogy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at tīrthas and shrines with bhakti and an undistracted mind (nānyagāmin).