Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

ततः स पार्थिवश्रेष्ठः संयतात्मा जितेंद्रियः । प्रयागादिषु तीर्थेषु स्नानं चक्रे समा हितः

Transliteration

tataḥ sa pārthivaśreṣṭhaḥ saṃyatātmā jiteṃdriyaḥ | prayāgādiṣu tīrtheṣu snānaṃ cakre samā hitaḥ

Translation

پھر وہ برترین بادشاہ، ضبطِ نفس اور حواس پر قابو رکھنے والا، پرَیاگ وغیرہ کے تیرتھوں میں یکسوئی کے ساتھ مقدس اشنان کرتا رہا۔

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/देश-कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — अपादान/क्रमसूचकः; 'thereupon/then'

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पार्थिवश्रेष्ठः: the best of kings
• पार्थिवश्रेष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पार्थिवानां श्रेष्ठः)

• संयतात्मा: self-controlled
• संयतात्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संयत + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (संयतः आत्मा यस्य/संयतात्मा)

• जितेन्द्रियः: having conquered the senses
• जितेन्द्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (इन्द्रियाणि जितानि येन)

• प्रयागादिषु: in Prayāga and other (places)
• प्रयागादिषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग + आदि (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (प्रयागः आदिः येषु)

• तीर्थेषु: in the sacred fords/pilgrimage spots
• तीर्थेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• चक्रे: performed, did
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• समाः: (for) years
• समाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; 'years' (समाः)

• हितः: steadfast, intent (fixed)
• हितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हित (कृदन्त; √धा/√हि? 'हित' as past participle used adjectivally)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (स्थित/नियत/स्थापित इत्यर्थे)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prayāga (as representative ‘ādi-tīrtha’ in the list)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija-sattamāḥ / brāhmaṇa audience (implied by later address)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined king, modestly clad, carrying a water-pot and staff, approaches a confluence tīrtha; priests and ascetics stand nearby as he performs snāna with folded hands, the river shimmering at dawn.

Characters & Entities

• Prayāga
• tīrtha
• snāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is strengthened by discipline—self-control and mental composure—while performing tīrtha-snānās during pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prayāga is explicitly mentioned as a leading tīrtha, with other sacred sites included thereafter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tīrtha-snānā (ritual bathing) at Prayāga and other holy places, undertaken with sense-control and focused mind.