Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 123

Devanagari script

गयातीर्थं गतं तं च गयाध्वंसनकाम्यया । बुध एव जगत्स्वामी तत्र तं सूदयिष्यति

Transliteration

gayātīrthaṃ gataṃ taṃ ca gayādhvaṃsanakāmyayā | budha eva jagatsvāmī tatra taṃ sūdayiṣyati

Translation

اور جب وہ گیا تیرتھ کو جائے گا، گیا (اپنے دشمن) کی ہلاکت کی خواہش سے، تو وہاں خود بودھ دیو—جہان کے مالک—اسے قتل کریں گے۔

Word by Word

• गयातीर्थम्: the Gayā pilgrimage-ford
• गयातीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गयायाः तीर्थम्)

• गतम्: gone/reached
• गतम्: Karma-samānādhikaraṇa (Object qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘गत’ = gone/reached (qualifying ‘गयातीर्थम्’)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

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

• गयाध्वंसनकाम्यया: through the desire to destroy Gayā
• गयाध्वंसनकाम्यया: Hetu/Karana (Cause/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वंसन (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-भाव) + काम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/हेतु), एकवचन; समासः—(गयायाः ध्वंसनम्) तत् काम्यते इति ‘गयाध्वंसनकाम्या’

• बुधः: Budha (Mercury)
• बुधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• जगत्स्वामी: lord of the world
• जगत्स्वामी: Karta (Apposition to subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जगतः स्वामी)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सूदयिष्यति: will kill/slay
• सूदयिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सूद् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Devī (Goddess)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gayā-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍavas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A prophetic tableau: Budha (Mercury-deity), radiant and sovereign, appears at Gayā-tīrtha; the foe named ‘Gayā’ is confronted and struck down amid sacred riverbanks and śrāddha altars.

Characters & Entities

• Gayā-tīrtha
• Budha
• Gaya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas are not merely locations; they are dharmic centers where adharma is checked and cosmic order is restored through divine agency.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gayā-tīrtha is explicitly named and presented as the decisive sacred setting for the defeat of the oppressor.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the verse emphasizes the sanctity and decisive spiritual power associated with reaching Gayā-tīrtha.