Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

प्रतिग्रहादुपावृत्तः संतुष्टो येनकेनचित् । अहंकार विमुक्तश्च स तीर्थफलमश्नुते

Transliteration

pratigrahādupāvṛttaḥ saṃtuṣṭo yenakenacit | ahaṃkāra vimuktaśca sa tīrthaphalamaśnute

Translation

பரிசு ஏற்றலை (பிரதிக்ரஹம்) விட்டு விலகி, எது கிடைத்தாலும் அதில் திருப்தியாய் இருந்து, அகங்காரமின்றி இருப்பவன்—தீர்த்தங்களின் உண்மைப் பலனை அனுபவிக்கிறான்.

Word by Word

• प्रतिग्रहात्: from accepting gifts
• प्रतिग्रहात्: Apadana (Source/Separation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• उपावृत्तः: withdrawn; refraining
• उपावृत्तः: Visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-आ-√वृत् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘turned away/withdrawn’

• संतुष्टः: content
• संतुष्टः: Visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-√तुष् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘content’

• येन: with whatever
• येन: Karana (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; ‘by whatever/with whatever’

• केनचित्: by something; by any (means)
• केनचित्: Karana (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक (indefinite)

• अहंकार: egoism
• अहंकार: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहं + कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (अहमिति कारः) ‘ego-sense’

• विमुक्तः: freed (from)
• विमुक्तः: Visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-√मुच् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘freed’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात

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

• तीर्थफलम्: the fruit of pilgrimage
• तीर्थफलम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘तीर्थस्य फलम्’

• अश्नुते: attains; enjoys
• अश्नुते: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tīrtha-phala through aparigraha-santoṣa-nirahaṅkāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A humble ascetic-pilgrim declines gifts, sits content with a simple bowl, ego depicted as a broken crown at his feet; the tīrtha’s light reflects in his calm eyes.

Characters & Entities

• Pratigraha (accepting gifts)
• Tīrtha-phala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage bears its highest fruit for the humble and unattached—content, non-grasping, and free of ego.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site; the verse highlights inner virtues that unlock the merit of any tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ethical discipline is prescribed: refraining from pratigraha, practicing contentment, and abandoning ahaṃkāra.