Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । एवं स निश्चयं कृत्वा गाधिपुत्रो मुनीश्वरः । त्रिशंकुं पृष्ठतः कृत्वा तीर्थयात्रामथाव्रजत्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | evaṃ sa niścayaṃ kṛtvā gādhiputro munīśvaraḥ | triśaṃkuṃ pṛṣṭhataḥ kṛtvā tīrthayātrāmathāvrajat

Translation

ਸੂਤ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ: ਇਸ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਨਿਸ਼ਚਯ ਕਰਕੇ, ਗਾਧੀ-ਪੁੱਤਰ ਮੁਨੀਸ਼ਵਰ ਵਿਸ਼ਵਾਮਿਤ੍ਰ ਨੇ ਤ੍ਰਿਸ਼ੰਕੂ ਨੂੰ ਪਿੱਛੇ ਨਾਲ ਲੈ ਕੇ ਤੀਰਥ-ਯਾਤਰਾ ਲਈ ਪ੍ਰਸਥਾਨ ਕੀਤਾ।

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; वक्ता (speaker)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/रीतिवाचक (adverb “thus”)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; कर्ता

• निश्चयम्: a resolve; determination
• निश्चयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निश्चय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• कृत्वा: having made/done
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (कृ धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having done)

• गाधिपुत्रः: son of Gādhi
• गाधिपुत्रः: Karta (Apposition to subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाधि-पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—“गाधेः पुत्रः”

• मुनीश्वरः: lord of sages
• मुनीश्वरः: Karta (Apposition to subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—“मुनीनां ईश्वरः” (lord among sages)

• त्रिशङ्कुम्: Triśaṅku
• त्रिशङ्कुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिशङ्कु (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• पृष्ठतः: behind; from the rear
• पृष्ठतः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृष्ठतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place: “from behind/behind”)

• कृत्वा: having placed
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (कृ धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund); “having placed/made”

• तीर्थयात्राम्: pilgrimage (to sacred places)
• तीर्थयात्राम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ-यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—“तीर्थस्य यात्रा” (pilgrimage to tīrthas)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भ/अनन्तरबोधक (then/now)

• अव्रजत्: went; set out
• अव्रजत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (व्रज् धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग ‘अ’ (augment)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/ Sūta-narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates as Viśvāmitra, staff in hand, begins a long journey; Triśaṅku follows behind, subdued and hopeful; the road opens toward multiple sacred landscapes.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Gādhiputra (Viśvāmitra)
• Triśaṅku

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A firm resolve (niścaya) and guided pilgrimage are presented as dhārmic means to seek purification and higher spiritual outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse introduces the pilgrimage; the specific tīrthas are enumerated in the following verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; it establishes the undertaking of tīrtha-yātrā under a sage’s guidance.