Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20
न लक्ष्यते क्वचिन्मार्गो दृश्यते न च मानुषम् । नात्र तोयं न च च्छाया नूनं मे मृत्यु रागतः
na lakṣyate kvacinmārgo dṛśyate na ca mānuṣam | nātra toyaṃ na ca cchāyā nūnaṃ me mṛtyu rāgataḥ
لا يُرى طريقٌ في أي موضع، ولا يُرى إنسانٌ كذلك. لا ماء هنا ولا ظلّ—لا ريب أن الموت قد أقبل عليّ.
Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)
Scene: A lone man stands or kneels in despair, scanning an empty horizon; cracked earth/sand, no trees; the last light fades; his shadow lengthens thinly.
FAQs
When worldly supports vanish, the urgency of refuge (śaraṇāgati) becomes clear.
Not specified in this verse; it intensifies the narrative contrast that precedes the revelation of sacred aid.
None; it is a lament describing lack of water and shelter.