Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

सोऽपि चौरो निराशश्च क्षुत्क्षामः शीतविह्वलः । अवतीर्य द्रुमात्तस्मादुपायं कंचिदाश्रितः

Transliteration

so'pi cauro nirāśaśca kṣutkṣāmaḥ śītavihvalaḥ | avatīrya drumāttasmādupāyaṃ kaṃcidāśritaḥ

Translation

সেই চোৰজনো নিৰাশ, ক্ষুধাত কৃশ আৰু শীতত কঁপনি ধৰা অৱস্থাত, সেই গছৰ পৰা নামি আহি কোনো এটা উপায় আশ্ৰয় কৰিলে।

Word by Word

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थ (also/even)

• चौरः: thief
• चौरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चौर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• निराशः: hopeless, without expectation
• निराशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निराश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• क्षुत्क्षामः: emaciated by hunger
• क्षुत्क्षामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षुत् (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (hunger-wasted)

• शीतविह्वलः: distressed by cold
• शीतविह्वलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शीत (प्रातिपदिक) + विह्वल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष-भाव (by cold—distressed)

• अवतीर्य: having descended
• अवतीर्य: Kriya (Adverbial action/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-तॄ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय-भाव; ‘having descended’

• द्रुमात्: from the tree
• द्रुमात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रुम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• तस्मात्: from that (place/thing)
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• उपायम्: a means, a plan
• उपायम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• कंचित्: some
• कंचित्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चित-विशेषण (indefinite ‘some’)

• आश्रितः: having resorted to
• आश्रितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘having resorted’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A gaunt thief, shivering and hungry, climbs down from a tree at dawn, eyes darting as he devises a plan—caught between vice and the pull of the nearby Śiva presence.

Characters & Entities

• Thief (cora)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a fallen person, driven by suffering, can turn toward a new course—setting the stage for grace through dharmic contact.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting remains the Śiva-liṅga/temple sphere of Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya; the verse itself focuses on the character’s condition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it advances the narrative that leads to the later stated Śivarātri fast and worship.