Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

मुख्या पुरुषयात्रा हि तीर्थयात्रानुषंगतः । सद्भिः समाश्रितो भूप भूमिभागस्तथोच्यते

Transliteration

mukhyā puruṣayātrā hi tīrthayātrānuṣaṃgataḥ | sadbhiḥ samāśrito bhūpa bhūmibhāgastathocyate

Translation

بے شک سب سے اعلیٰ ‘سفر’ نیک و برگزیدہ اشخاص کی طرف سفر ہے؛ تیرتھ یاترا اس کے بعد ہے۔ اے راجن، زمین کا وہ حصہ جسے صالحین اپنا ٹھکانا بنائیں، وہی حقیقی طور پر مبارک کہلاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• मुख्या: principal / foremost
• मुख्या: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• पुरुषयात्रा: journey of men / human pilgrimage
• पुरुषयात्रा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक) + यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पुरुषाणां यात्रा)

• हि: indeed / for
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ

• तीर्थयात्रानुषङ्गतः: due to the connection with pilgrimage
• तीर्थयात्रानुषङ्गतः: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुषङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषः; ‘-तः’ = तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverbial) अर्थे ‘अनुषङ्गात्’

• सद्भिः: by the good (people)
• सद्भिः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• समाश्रितः: resorted to / associated with
• समाश्रितः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + श्रि (धातु)
• Form: भूतकालिक-कृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘आश्रितः’ = has resorted/has been associated

• भूप: O king
• भूप: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• भूमिभागः: a portion of land / region
• भूमिभागः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (भूमेः भागः)

• तथा: thus / so
• तथा: Kriya-vishesana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb)

• उच्यते: is called
• उच्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; teaching maxim within the episode)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Satpuruṣa-saṅga (as living tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhūpa (the king; contextually Mārkaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Lomaśa instructs the king: a didactic tableau where the sage gestures toward a circle of sādhus, while a distant river-tīrtha is shown as secondary; the ‘blessed land’ glows where the good reside.

Characters & Entities

• Bhūpa (king)
• Sat (the virtuous)
• Tīrtha-yātrā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The truest pilgrimage is seeking the company of the virtuous; sacredness arises where saints dwell and dharma is lived.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the verse reframes tīrtha as any place sanctified by the residence and conduct of the good.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it prescribes a value-priority: pursue sat-saṅga (journey to holy persons) as the highest pilgrimage.