Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

बहिर्वासाश्च ये तत्र नागराः समवस्थिताः । चण्डशर्म प्रभृतयस्तेऽपि याताः सुदूरतः

Transliteration

bahirvāsāśca ye tatra nāgarāḥ samavasthitāḥ | caṇḍaśarma prabhṛtayaste'pi yātāḥ sudūrataḥ

Translation

Und auch die Nāgara-Bewohner, die am Stadtrand ansässig waren—angefangen bei Caṇḍaśarman—zogen fort in eine überaus ferne Gegend.

Word by Word

• बहिर्वासाः: those dwelling outside (outsiders)
• बहिर्वासाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहिः (अव्यय) + वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (अव्ययीभावः: बहिः वासः = outside-dwelling); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject of relative clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Adverbial location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (there)

• नागराः: townsmen/citizens
• नागराः: Karta (Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• समवस्थिताः: were present/standing
• समवस्थिताः: Kriya (Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अव + स्था (धातु) → समवस्थित (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन; ‘स्थिताः’ अर्थे

• चण्डशर्म: Caṇḍaśarman
• चण्डशर्म: Karta (In apposition; member of group)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + शर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (कर्मधारयः: चण्डं शर्म यस्य/चण्ड-शर्म); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; नाम (proper noun)

• प्रभृतयः: and others (beginning with him)
• प्रभृतयः: Karta (Group apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन; ‘आदि’ अर्थे (and others beginning with)

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Nipata (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि = also/even

• याताः: went
• याताः: Kriya (Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु) → यात (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन; ‘गताः’ अर्थे

• सुदूरतः: from very far away
• सुदूरतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सु (अव्यय/उपसर्ग) + दूर (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तसिल्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिलन्त (ablatival adverb: “from very far / far away”); ‘सु’ अतिशयार्थक

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgara-bahirvāsa near Sārasvata-jala

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Families from the outer settlement, led by Caṇḍaśarman and others, depart with carts and bundles, glancing back at the troubled waters and deserted bank.

Characters & Entities

• Caṇḍaśarman
• Nāgara residents

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When adharma or supernatural disturbance rises, even settled communities withdraw—indicating that tīrthas require protection and right order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The settlement-region around the Sārasvata tīrtha, within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.