Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

तीर्थयात्रां गता विप्रा मार्कण्डेयो गृहं ययौ । गत्वा गृहमथोवाच मृकण्डं मुनिसत्तमम्

Transliteration

tīrthayātrāṃ gatā viprā mārkaṇḍeyo gṛhaṃ yayau | gatvā gṛhamathovāca mṛkaṇḍaṃ munisattamam

Translation

جب برہمن رشی تیرتھوں کی یاترا کو روانہ ہوئے تو مارکنڈَیَ گھر چلا گیا۔ گھر پہنچ کر اس نے مُنیوں میں افضل، مِرکنڈُو سے کہا۔

Word by Word

• tīrthayātrām: pilgrimage to sacred places
• tīrthayātrām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + yātrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (tīrthasya yātrā)

• gatāḥ: having gone
• gatāḥ: Karta-visheshaṇa (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gata (कृदन्त; √gam)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

• viprāḥ: brahmins
• viprāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• mārkaṇḍeyaḥ: Mārkaṇḍeya
• mārkaṇḍeyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārkaṇḍeya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• gṛham: home
• gṛham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• yayau: went
• yayau: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• gatvā: having gone
• gatvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• gṛham: to the house/home
• gṛham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• atha: then
• atha: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक (then/thereupon)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• mṛkaṇḍam: to Mṛkaṇḍa
• mṛkaṇḍam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛkaṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• munisattamam: the best of sages
• munisattamam: Karma (Apposition to object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक) + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-तत्पुरुषार्थे (श्रेष्ठो मुनिः)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration within Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: प्रभासक्षेत्र (प्रस्थान-भूमिः)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: महात्म्य-श्रोता

Visual Art Cues

Scene: ऋषयः तीर्थयात्रायै प्रस्थिताः; बालः मार्कण्डेयः एकाकी गृहं/आश्रमं गच्छति; मृकण्डुं प्रणम्य वदति—कथारम्भ-क्षणः।

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Mṛkaṇḍu
• Sages (Vipras)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage and the transmission of sacred experiences to one’s teacher/parent-sage are integral to dharmic life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader section glorifies Prabhāsa-kṣetra while referencing tīrtha-yātrā as a dharmic practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it mentions tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage) as an ongoing practice.