Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

ततोऽहं यौवनं प्राप्तो यदा द्विजवरोत्तम तदा मे दयितस्तातः पंचत्वं समुपागतः

Transliteration

tato'haṃ yauvanaṃ prāpto yadā dvijavarottama tadā me dayitastātaḥ paṃcatvaṃ samupāgataḥ

Translation

তারপর, হে দ্বিজশ্রেষ্ঠ, যখন আমি যৌবনে উপনীত হলাম, ঠিক তখনই আমার প্রিয় পিতা পঞ্চত্বে লীন হলেন—অর্থাৎ দেহত্যাগ করলেন।

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• यौवनम्: youth
• यौवनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यौवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd); एकवचन

• प्राप्तः: having attained / attained
• प्राप्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past participle used predicatively); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; 'अहम्' इत्यस्य विधेय

• यदा: when
• यदा: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (temporal conjunction)

• द्विजवरोत्तम: O best of the excellent twice-born (brahmins)
• द्विजवरोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + वर (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन-प्रयोग (Vocative sense); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/सम्बोधन-एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (श्रेष्ठः द्विजानां वरः उत्तमः)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (then)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचन रूप (Genitive/Dative sg. enclitic); अत्र षष्ठी (of me)

• दयितः: beloved
• दयितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दयित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; 'तातः' इत्यस्य विशेषण

• तातः: father
• तातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• पञ्चत्वम्: the state of five elements (death)
• पञ्चत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• समुपागतः: reached, passed into
• समुपागतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उप-√गम् (धातु) → समुपागत (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past participle used predicatively); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; 'तातः' इत्यस्य विधेय

Speaker

Atithi

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijavaro (addressed as ‘O best of brāhmaṇas’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A youth receives the blow of his father’s death; the phrase ‘pañcatva’ suggests the body’s elemental return—somber, restrained mourning.

Characters & Entities

• Atithi
• Father (Śānta-Dāṃta implied)
• Brāhmaṇas (addressed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human life is impermanent; the Purāṇic frame uses bereavement to pivot toward dharma, pilgrimage-merit, and inner detachment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates a life event (death).