Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

प्रार्थयित्वा नरस्त्वेवं सेतुरूपं नगोत्तमम् । ततो मृदुपदं गच्छेत्पावनं गन्धमादनम्

Transliteration

prārthayitvā narastvevaṃ seturūpaṃ nagottamam | tato mṛdupadaṃ gacchetpāvanaṃ gandhamādanam

Translation

ครั้นอธิษฐานต่อภูเขายอดประเสริฐผู้มีรูปเป็นเศตุแล้ว บุคคลพึงก้าวไปด้วยย่างเท้าอ่อนโยนสู่คันธมาทนะอันชำระให้บริสุทธิ์

Word by Word

• प्रार्थयित्वा: having prayed/requested
• प्रार्थयित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अर्थ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive): प्रार्थयित्वा = having requested

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (indeed/but)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-Visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (thus/in this manner)

• सेतुरूपम्: Setu-formed
• सेतुरूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सेतु (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (सेतोः रूपम्)

• नगोत्तमम्: the best of mountains
• नगोत्तमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नग (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (नगानाम् उत्तमः)

• ततः: then/from there
• ततः: Desha-Kala (Time/Place adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्/ततः (then/from there)

• मृदुपदम्: gentle step/soft-footed (path)
• मृदुपदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृदु (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (मृदु च तत् पदम्)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• पावनम्: purifying
• पावनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (गन्धमादनम्)

• गन्धमादनम्: Gandhamādana (mountain)
• गन्धमादनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + मादन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) giving pilgrimage procedure (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gandhamādana (pāvana) in Setu-kṣetra

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After praying, the pilgrim proceeds slowly with gentle steps along a sacred hill-path; the landscape feels cleansing, with sea air and sanctified stillness.

Characters & Entities

• Gandhamādana
• Setu (Rāma-setu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer reverence—gentle conduct—supports inner purification; dharma is expressed through careful behavior at sacred sites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gandhamādana Mountain in the Setu sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pray first, then walk with mṛdu-pada (gentle steps) as a rule of tīrtha etiquette.