Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

तीर्थयात्रां व्रतं वापि शांतिकं वा द्विजोत्तम । येन स्यात्संततिः शीघ्रं त्वत्प्रसादाद्बृहस्पते

Transliteration

tīrthayātrāṃ vrataṃ vāpi śāṃtikaṃ vā dvijottama | yena syātsaṃtatiḥ śīghraṃ tvatprasādādbṛhaspate

Translation

“ਹੇ ਦ੍ਵਿਜੋਤਮ! ਚਾਹੇ ਤੀਰਥ-ਯਾਤਰਾ ਹੋਵੇ, ਵ੍ਰਤ ਹੋਵੇ ਜਾਂ ਸ਼ਾਂਤੀ-ਕਰਮ—ਉਹ ਦੱਸੋ ਜਿਸ ਨਾਲ ਤੁਹਾਡੀ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਨਾਲ, ਹੇ ਬ੍ਰਿਹਸਪਤੇ, ਜਲਦੀ ਸੰਤਾਨ ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤ ਹੋ ਜਾਵੇ।”

Word by Word

• tīrtha-yātrām: pilgrimage to a sacred place
• tīrtha-yātrām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + yātrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (tīrthasya yātrā)

• vratam: vow
• vratam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• vā: or
• vā: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प (disjunctive particle ‘or’)

• api: also/even
• api: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि (also/even)

• śāṃtikam: propitiatory rite (śānti)
• śāṃtikam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāṃtika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• vā: or
• vā: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प (or)

• dvija-uttama: O best of Brahmins
• dvija-uttama: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (uttamaḥ dvijaḥ)

• yena: by which
• yena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; साधनार्थे

• syāt: may there be
• syāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• saṃtatiḥ: progeny/continuation of lineage
• saṃtatiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃtati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• śīghram: quickly
• śīghram: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śīghra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• tvat-prasādāt: by your grace
• tvat-prasādāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + prasāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (tava prasādaḥ)

• bṛhaspate: O Bṛhaspati
• bṛhaspate: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bṛhaspati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Siddha (the seeker) addressing Bṛhaspati

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Haṃsa enumerates options with earnest gestures—one hand indicating a path (yātrā), another a vow-knot (vrata), another a ritual fire (śānti); Bṛhaspati attentive, poised to decide.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhaspati
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma offers multiple sanctioned paths—pilgrimage, vows, and śānti rites—when pursued with faith and right guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tīrtha in general is invoked here; the narrative soon points to Camatkārapura as the specific kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse explicitly lists three options: tīrthayātrā (pilgrimage), vrata (vow), and śāṃtika (pacificatory rite).