Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

ततः पप्रच्छ लोकान्स लब्ध्वा कृच्छ्रेण चेतनाम् । कस्येयं कन्यका साध्वी किमर्थमिह चागता

Transliteration

tataḥ papraccha lokānsa labdhvā kṛcchreṇa cetanām | kasyeyaṃ kanyakā sādhvī kimarthamiha cāgatā

Translation

Daraufhin, nur mühsam wieder zu sich kommend, fragte er die Leute: „Wessen tugendhafte Jungfrau ist dies, und aus welchem Grund ist sie hierher gekommen?“

Word by Word

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (temporal sequence/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अपादान/क्रम) = indeclinable ‘then/from that’

• पप्रच्छ: asked
• पप्रच्छ: Kriya (action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• लोकान्: the people
• लोकान्: Karma (object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• लब्ध्वा: having regained/obtained
• लब्ध्वा: Purvakala (prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु) → लब्ध्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्तः—क्त्वा (त्वान्त) = gerund/absolutive; ‘having obtained’

• कृच्छ्रेण: with difficulty
• कृच्छ्रेण: Karana (means/manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; साधन/प्रकारवाचक

• चेतनाम्: consciousness; composure
• चेतनाम्: Karma (object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• कस्य: of whom; whose
• कस्य: Sambandha (genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• इयम्: this (woman)
• इयम्: Karta (subject of nominal clause/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• कन्यका: girl; maiden
• कन्यका: Karta (predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्यका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• साध्वी: virtuous; chaste
• साध्वी: Visheshana (qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साध्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• किमर्थम्: why; for what purpose
• किमर्थम्: Prayojana (purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् + अर्थम् (अव्ययभाव)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः = indeclinable interrogative adverb ‘for what purpose/why’

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) = indeclinable ‘here’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) = conjunction ‘and’

• आगता: has come; arrived
• आगता: Kriya (predicative action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु) → आगत (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त (भूतकर्मणि) = past participle; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘इयम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The man steadies himself, turns to the gathered people, and asks about the maiden’s identity and purpose; townsfolk and pilgrims respond attentively.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Ṛcīka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When the mind is shaken, returning to clarity and seeking truthful context is the first step back toward right action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The question is asked at the Kauśikī river tīrtha, within the Bhojakaṭa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative inquiry.