Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

बृहस्पतिरुवाच । तीर्थयात्रां सुरश्रेष्ठ कुरुष्व धरणीतले । तीर्थं विना ध्रुवं वृद्धिस्तेजसो न भविष्यति

Transliteration

bṛhaspatiruvāca | tīrthayātrāṃ suraśreṣṭha kuruṣva dharaṇītale | tīrthaṃ vinā dhruvaṃ vṛddhistejaso na bhaviṣyati

Translation

ବୃହସ୍ପତି କହିଲେ—ହେ ଦେବଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ! ଧରଣୀତଳେ ତୀର୍ଥଯାତ୍ରା କର। ତୀର୍ଥ ବିନା ନିଶ୍ଚୟ ତେଜର ବୃଦ୍ଧି ହେବ ନାହିଁ।

Word by Word

• बृहस्पतिः: Bṛhaspati
• बृहस्पतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृहस्पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• तीर्थयात्राम्: pilgrimage to sacred places
• तीर्थयात्राम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थयात्रा (प्रातिपदिक; तीर्थ + यात्रा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास

• सुरश्रेष्ठ: O best of the gods
• सुरश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरश्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; सुर + श्रेष्ठ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास

• कुरुष्व: do, undertake
• कुरुष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• धरणीतले: on the surface of the earth
• धरणीतले: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणीतल (प्रातिपदिक; धरणी + तल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास

• तीर्थम्: a sacred place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गार्थक-निपात (preposition-like particle) ‘without’

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभूत-विशेषण (indeclinable adverbial use); निश्चयार्थे (certainly)

• वृद्धिः: increase
• वृद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तेजसः: of radiance
• तेजसः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

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

• भविष्यति: will be/happen
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Bṛhaspati

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahaujasā Tīrtha (implied as the goal of instruction)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Suraśreṣṭha (Indra/Śakra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bṛhaspati, the devaguru, instructs Indra to undertake pilgrimage on earth; a didactic moment before the journey begins.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhaspati
• Indra (Suraśreṣṭha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-yātrā is presented as a dhārmic medicine: sacred geography supports inner purification and the return of tejas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises tīrthas in principle and, in this chapter’s flow, points toward Mahaujas Tīrtha as the practical remedy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage), implying snāna and tīrtha-sevā as means to restore radiance.