Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

अहो जना जटातीर्थे कामधेनुसमे शुभे । विद्यमानेऽपि किं तुच्छे रमंतेन्यत्र मोहिताः

Transliteration

aho janā jaṭātīrthe kāmadhenusame śubhe | vidyamāne'pi kiṃ tucche ramaṃtenyatra mohitāḥ

Translation

โอหนอ! เมื่อชฏาตีรถะอันเป็นมงคล เสมอด้วยกามเธนุมีอยู่แล้ว ไฉนผู้คนผู้หลงมัวเมาจึงไปยินดีในสถานที่อื่นอันต้อยต่ำเล่า

Word by Word

• अहो: alas/oh!
• अहो: Sambandha (Exclamation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्गार-अव्यय (interjection)

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• जटातीर्थे: at Jaṭātīrtha
• जटातीर्थे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जटा+तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः जटा+तीर्थ

• कामधेनुसमे: (which is) like the wish-fulfilling cow
• कामधेनुसमे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कामधेनु+सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः कामधेनु+सम (तत्पुरुषः: ‘कामधेन्वा समम्’)

• शुभे: auspicious
• शुभे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विद्यमाने: when (it) exists
• विद्यमाने: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विद् (धातु) + शानच् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्तः (शानच्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अर्थः ‘while existing/being present’

• अपि: even/although
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (even/although)

• किम्: why/what
• किम्: Hetu (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• तुच्छे: in trivial (things)
• तुच्छे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुच्छ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रमन्ते: delight
• रमन्ते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √रम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद

• अन्यत्र: elsewhere
• अन्यत्र: Adhikarana (Adverbial locus)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: elsewhere)

• मोहिताः: deluded
• मोहिताः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुह्/√मोह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अर्थः ‘deluded’

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (narrative voice within Setu-khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jaṭātīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant tīrtha with a symbolic Kāmadhenu presence (or a cow of abundance) near the ghat; in the background, people wander toward glittering but barren places, veiled by a mist labeled ‘moha’.

Characters & Entities

• Jaṭātīrtha
• Kāmadhenu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Do not neglect a truly powerful tīrtha; delusion makes people chase lesser spiritual options.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jaṭātīrtha is praised as auspicious and wish-fulfilling like Kāmadhenu.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the verse urges choosing Jaṭātīrtha over inferior alternatives.