Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

ततः कालेन केनापि पांडवा द्यूतनिर्जिताः । तत्राजग्मुश्च क्रमतस्तीर्थस्नानकृते भुवम्

Transliteration

tataḥ kālena kenāpi pāṃḍavā dyūtanirjitāḥ | tatrājagmuśca kramatastīrthasnānakṛte bhuvam

Translation

ครั้นกาลล่วงไปไม่นาน เหล่าปาณฑพผู้พ่ายในการพนันลูกเต๋า ก็เดินทางไปตามลำดับทั่วแผ่นดิน เพื่อสรงสนาน ณ ตีรถะอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์ แล้วมาถึงที่นั้น

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘ततः’ = तस्मात्/तदनन्तरम् (thereafter/from there)

• कालेन: by time; after some time
• कालेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन — ‘कालेन’ (by time/after some time)

• केन: by some
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — ‘केन’ (by which/ by some)

• अपि: even; also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — ‘अपि’ = even/also; here with ‘केन’ → ‘केनापि’ (by some)

• पाण्डवाः: the Pāṇḍavas
• पाण्डवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — ‘पाण्डवाः’ (the Pāṇḍavas)

• द्यूत-निर्जिताः: defeated in gambling
• द्यूत-निर्जिताः: Karta (Subject-Qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्यूत (प्रातिपदिक) + नि√जि (धातु) → निर्जित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त ‘निर्जित’ (conquered/defeated) + तत्पुरुष-समास (द्यूते निर्जिताः)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘तत्र’ (there)

• आजग्मुः: they came
• आजग्मुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन — ‘आजग्मुः’ (they came)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — ‘च’ (and)

• क्रमतः: successively
• क्रमतः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रमतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘क्रमतः’ (in order, successively)

• तीर्थ-स्नान-कृते: for the sake of bathing at sacred fords
• तीर्थ-स्नान-कृते: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + कृते (कृदन्त/अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन), एकवचन — ‘कृते’ = for the sake of; समासः (तीर्थस्नानस्य कृते)

• भुवम्: the earth; the land
• भुवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन — ‘भुवम्’ (earth/land)

Speaker

Narrator (within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa addressing sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Pāṇḍavas, travel-worn after the dice defeat, move in a line across varied terrain—forests, dusty paths, distant shrines—carrying minimal gear, intent on sacred baths.

Characters & Entities

• Pāṇḍava
• Dyūta (dice game)
• Tīrtha
• Snāna (ritual bath)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

After downfall, dharmic recovery is sought through tīrtha-yātrā and sacred bathing—turning suffering into purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse mentions tīrtha-snāna generally; the specific tīrtha is not named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tīrtha-snāna—ritual bathing at sacred places—is explicitly indicated as their purpose.