Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

तच्छ्रुत्वा वानराः सर्वे सुग्रीवप्रमुखास्ततः । रुरुदुस्ते सुदुःखार्ताः समालिंग्य ततः परम्

Transliteration

tacchrutvā vānarāḥ sarve sugrīvapramukhāstataḥ | ruruduste suduḥkhārtāḥ samāliṃgya tataḥ param

Translation

Als sie dies hörten, wurden alle Vānaras unter Sugrīvas Führung von tiefstem Schmerz überwältigt. Sie weinten und umarmten sich (ihn oder einander) und verharrten in Trauer.

Word by Word

• तत्: that (news/that matter)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रुत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having heard)

• वानराः: monkeys, vānaras
• वानराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वानर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; विशेषण

• सुग्रीवप्रमुखाः: headed by Sugrīva
• सुग्रीवप्रमुखाः: Karta (Appositional qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुग्रीव (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘सुग्रीवः प्रमुखः येषाम्’ (Sanskrit often uses this as ‘headed by Sugrīva’)

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्/तदनन्तरम् (thereupon/then)

• रुरुदुः: they wept
• रुरुदुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रुद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• सुदुःखार्ताः: afflicted by great sorrow
• सुदुःखार्ताः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + आर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘सुदुःखेन आर्ताः’ (greatly distressed with sorrow)

• समालिङ्ग्य: having embraced
• समालिङ्ग्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-आ-लिङ्ग् (धातु) → समालिङ्ग्य (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having embraced)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थ (then)

• परम्: afterwards
• परम्: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग; काल/क्रमवाचक (afterwards/thereafter)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kiṣkindhā-smṛti-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of vānaras led by Sugrīva breaks into tears; they embrace one another (or Rāma) in a tight cluster, faces turned downward, bodies trembling with grief.

Characters & Entities

• Sugrīva
• Vānaraḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True devotion expresses itself as heartfelt empathy and shared grief; righteous communities remain united through affection and solidarity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse functions as narrative fabric within the Tīrthamāhātmya; the specific tīrtha is not named in the shloka itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes an emotional response and communal bonding.