Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

न तीर्थसेवनरता भविष्यंति च वाडवाः । बह्वाहारा भविष्यंति बहुनिद्रासमाकुलाः

Transliteration

na tīrthasevanaratā bhaviṣyaṃti ca vāḍavāḥ | bahvāhārā bhaviṣyaṃti bahunidrāsamākulāḥ

Translation

عورتیں تِیرتھوں کی خدمت اور زیارت میں رغبت نہ رکھیں گی؛ وہ بہت زیادہ کھانے والی ہوں گی اور کثرتِ نیند سے مغلوب رہیں گی۔

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negative particle)

• तीर्थ-सेवन-रताः: devoted to visiting holy places
• तीर्थ-सेवन-रताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + सेवन (प्रातिपदिक) + रत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः: तीर्थसेवने रताः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• भविष्यन्ति: will be
• भविष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• वाडवाः: men/people (vāḍavaḥ)
• वाडवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाडव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• बहु-आहाराः: having much food; overeating
• बहु-आहाराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (कर्मधारयः: बहवः आहाराः यस्य/ये); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• भविष्यन्ति: will be
• भविष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• बहु-निद्रा-समाकुलाः: disturbed/overwhelmed by much sleep
• बहु-निद्रा-समाकुलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + निद्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + समाकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः: बहुनिद्रया समाकुलाः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator within Dharmāraṇya-khaṇḍa describing Kali-yuga traits)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tīrtha-sevā (general)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājan) as addressee in the surrounding sequence

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Contrast tableau: a neglected ghat/temple with extinguished lamps and unattended steps, while households indulge in heavy meals and sleep; a lone pilgrim continues seva, highlighting dharma amid decline.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha
• Kali-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It contrasts tīrtha-sevā (sacred travel and service) with tamas-driven habits, showing how devotion and discipline fade in Kali-yuga.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is specified; the verse speaks generally about the decline of tīrtha-sevana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the implicit dharma is to cultivate tīrtha-yātrā/tīrtha-sevā rather than indulgence.