Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

सत्तीर्थगमनायैव दर्शनार्थं सतामिह । वांछा च महती तेषां जायते पूर्वकारिता

Transliteration

sattīrthagamanāyaiva darśanārthaṃ satāmiha | vāṃchā ca mahatī teṣāṃ jāyate pūrvakāritā

Translation

அவர்களில், இவ்வுலகில் சத்புருஷர்களின் தரிசனத்திற்கும் சத்தீர்த்தங்களுக்கு செல்லவும், முன்செய்த கர்மங்களால் பிறந்த பெரும் ஏக்கம் எழுகிறது.

Word by Word

• सत्-तीर्थ-गमनाय: for going to the holy ford of the good (saints)
• सत्-तीर्थ-गमनाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + गमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः (सतां तीर्थं) षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः → सत्-तीर्थ; ततः तत्पुरुषः (सत्-तीर्थस्य गमनम्) → सत्-तीर्थ-गमन; प्रयोजनार्थे चतुर्थी

• एव: indeed; only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (restrictive particle)

• दर्शन-अर्थम्: for the sake of seeing
• दर्शन-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (दर्शनस्य अर्थः/प्रयोजनम्) अव्ययीभावार्थे प्रयोजन-निर्देशः

• सताम्: of the good (saints)
• सताम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• वाञ्छा: desire
• वाञ्छा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाञ्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• महतī: great
• महतī: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वाञ्छायाः)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• जायते: arises; is born
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• पूर्व-कारिता: previous action; past practice
• पूर्व-कारिता: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कारिता (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; कृ धातोः णिच् + क्त/क्तिन् भाव)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (पूर्वं कृतं कर्म/कृतिः)

Speaker

Śiva (Śaṅkara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sat-tīrtha (category; Kedāra implied)

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yama (Dharma)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva explains that purified people develop a powerful yearning to go to true tīrthas and to behold holy persons; imagery of a pilgrim path leading toward a luminous shrine and a gathering of sādhus.

Characters & Entities

• tīrtha
• sat (the virtuous/saints)
• darśana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The impulse toward pilgrimage and holy association is itself a fruit of prior merit and a sign of inner purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises sat-tīrthas in general; within this section, the Kedāra tīrtha-world is the implied sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pilgrimage (tīrtha-gamana) and seeking darśana of the virtuous are recommended as spiritually elevating acts.