Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

यात्राविधिमथो वक्ष्ये सेतिहासं नृपोत्तम

Transliteration

yātrāvidhimatho vakṣye setihāsaṃ nṛpottama

Translation

ข้าแต่พระราชาผู้ประเสริฐ บัดนี้เราจักกล่าวถึงพิธีแห่งการจาริกแสวงบุญ พร้อมทั้งตำนานโบราณอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์นั้น

Word by Word

• यात्राविधिम्: the procedure of pilgrimage
• यात्राविधिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (यात्रायाः विधिम्), पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अथ: now; then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध/अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (particle: now/then)

• वक्ष्ये: I shall tell
• वक्ष्ये: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपदम्

• स-इतिहासम्: together with the legend/history
• स-इतिहासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय-उपसर्गार्थक) + इतिहास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः (इतिहासेन सह), पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• नृपोत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमासः (उत्तमः नृपः), पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; addressing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpottama (best of kings; royal interlocutor)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage-narrator begins a formal discourse to a king, introducing the pilgrimage procedure and the ancient sacred account of Vastrāpatha.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is not random travel; it is guided by vidhi (right method) and illuminated by sacred tradition (itihāsa).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Vastrāpathakṣetra within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa, leading into its pilgrimage protocol.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An announcement of yātrā-vidhi (pilgrimage rules); details follow in the subsequent narrative.