Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

ततः संप्रस्थिता यावत्प्रगच्छामि पदात्पदम् । यावद्दूरतरं यामि तावत्सा मृगतृष्णिका

Transliteration

tataḥ saṃprasthitā yāvatpragacchāmi padātpadam | yāvaddūrataraṃ yāmi tāvatsā mṛgatṛṣṇikā

Translation

ครั้นแล้วเมื่อข้าออกเดินทาง ก้าวไปทีละก้าว ยิ่งไปไกลเพียงใด ภาพลวงตาแห่งมฤคตृषณาก็ยิ่งคงอยู่เพียงนั้น

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक (then/from there)

• संप्रस्थिता: having set out, departed
• संप्रस्थिता: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संप्रस्थित (कृदन्त; सम् + प्र + √स्था (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त; (सा मृगतृष्णिका इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Correlative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अवधिवाचक (correlative: 'as long as/so far as')

• प्रगच्छामि: I go forward
• प्रगच्छामि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पदात्: from a step
• पदात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; (अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः)

• पदम्: (to) a step
• पदम्: Karma (Internal object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोग (idiom: step by step)

• यावत्: as far as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Correlative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अवधिवाचक (as far as)

• दूरतरम्: farther
• दूरतरम्: Desha (Extent/देश-परिमाण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दूरतरा (प्रातिपदिक; दूर + तर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (accusative of extent: 'farther')

• यामि: I go
• यामि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तावत्: so much, to that extent
• तावत्: Sambandha (Correlative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तावत्-यावत् सम्बन्ध (correlative: 'so much/so long')

• सा: that (she/it)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मृगतृष्णिका: mirage
• मृगतृष्णिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग-तृष्णिका (प्रातिपदिक; मृग + तृष्णिका)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (मृगस्य तृष्णिका = मरीचिका)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator within Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A traveler walking away from a well; in the distance a shimmering band of 'water' recedes as he advances; footprints in sand, long shadows, the horizon wavering.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Illusions lure one onward without fulfillment; discernment (viveka) is needed to seek the real ‘tīrtha’ rather than deceptive appearances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No; this verse emphasizes the phenomenon of mirage encountered on the way, contrasting with true sacred water.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative description used to highlight deception in the desert.