Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य भ्रममाणो यदृच्छया । गतोऽहं पर्वतश्रेष्ठं हिमवंतं महागिरिम्

Transliteration

kasyacittvatha kālasya bhramamāṇo yadṛcchayā | gato'haṃ parvataśreṣṭhaṃ himavaṃtaṃ mahāgirim

Translation

وبعد زمنٍ ما، وبينما كنتُ أتجوّل على غير قصدٍ وبمحض المصادفة، بلغتُ سيّد الجبال: هِمَفان (Himavān)، القمّة العظمى الشامخة.

Word by Word

• kasya-cit: of some
• kasya-cit: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक) + cit (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थ (of some)

• tu: and/but
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वय (but/and)

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक (then)

• kālasya: of time
• kālasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• bhramamāṇaḥ: wandering
• bhramamāṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhram (धातु)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present middle participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि (wandering)

• yadṛcchayā: by chance
• yadṛcchayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yadṛcchā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• gataḥ: gone
• gataḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘गतः’ (having gone)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• parvata-śreṣṭham: the best of mountains
• parvata-śreṣṭham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parvata (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (himavantam/mahāgirim इति विशेष्यस्य)

• himavantam: Himavān (the Himalaya)
• himavantam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: himavant (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• mahā-girim: the great mountain
• mahā-girim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + giri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; himavantam इत्यस्य अप्पोजिशन

Speaker

An unnamed narrator (continuing the account) within the Tīrthamāhātmya narrative

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Himavān (Himalaya)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solitary traveler/narrator moves through vast Himalayan terrain—snow peaks, cedar forests, and high passes—arriving at the ‘lord of mountains’ as destiny ripens.

Characters & Entities

• Himavān
• Himalaya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Providence can guide a wandering life toward sacred landscapes where transformation becomes possible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Himalayan region (Himavān) is highlighted as a sanctified realm associated with tapas and holy presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the verse sets the sacred location-context for subsequent dharmic actions.