Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

तद्दृष्ट्वा सुमहत्क्षेत्रं तापसौघनिषेवितम् । निर्विण्णः कुष्ठरोगेण पथि श्रांतोऽब्रवीत्प्रियाम्

Transliteration

taddṛṣṭvā sumahatkṣetraṃ tāpasaughaniṣevitam | nirviṇṇaḥ kuṣṭharogeṇa pathi śrāṃto'bravītpriyām

Translation

ولمّا رأى ذلك الحقلَ المقدّسَ العظيمَ الذي يؤمّه جمعٌ من الزهّاد، وقد أضناه الجُذامُ وأتعبه السفر، خاطبَ زوجتَه الحبيبة.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; object of seeing (that)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; having seen

• सुमहत्क्षेत्रम्: the very great sacred place
• सुमहत्क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (सुमहत् क्षेत्रम् = very great field)

• तापसौघनिषेवितम्: frequented by crowds of ascetics
• तापसौघनिषेवितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तापस (प्रातिपदिक) + ओघ (प्रातिपदिक) + नि + सेव् (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) qualifying क्षेत्रम्; तत्पुरुष (तापस-ओघेन निषेवितम्)

• निर्विण्णः: dejected
• निर्विण्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + विद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) used adjectivally, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; dejected/disgusted

• कुष्ठरोगेण: by/because of leprosy
• कुष्ठरोगेण: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + रोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (कुष्ठस्य रोगः) instrumental of cause

• पथि: on the road
• पथि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पथिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular

• श्रान्तः: tired
• श्रान्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; tired

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतन-भूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Imperfect (he said)

• प्रियाम्: to (his) beloved wife
• प्रियाम्: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; object of speaking (to his beloved)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Tīrthamāhātmya context; specific speaker not stated in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Not specified.

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The pilgrim beholds a vast sacred landscape dotted with hermitages and groups of ascetics; despite the holy sight, his disease and fatigue weigh on him as he turns to speak to his wife.

Characters & Entities

• kṣetra
• tāpasa (ascetics)
• kuṣṭha-roga (leprosy)
• wife (priyā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places are marked by saintly presence, yet the pilgrim’s inner struggle must be met with perseverance and faith.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ‘great kṣetra’ in the Hāṭakeśvara sphere is praised as an ascetic-frequented holy region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is specified; the verse emphasizes the sanctity of the place and the pilgrim’s condition.