Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 101

Devanagari script

एकाकी पार्थिवेन्द्रोऽयं नेष्यति च कथं निशाम् । वनेऽस्मिन्मंत्रयित्वैवं ततोऽत्रैव व्यवस्थिताः

Transliteration

ekākī pārthivendro'yaṃ neṣyati ca kathaṃ niśām | vane'sminmaṃtrayitvaivaṃ tato'traiva vyavasthitāḥ

Translation

„Wie wird dieser Herr unter den Königen, ganz allein, die Nacht in diesem Wald verbringen?“ So berieten sie im Gehölz und beschlossen darauf, eben dort zu bleiben.

Word by Word

• एकाकी: alone; solitary
• एकाकी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकाकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• पार्थिवेन्द्रः: the king (lord of the earth)
• पार्थिवेन्द्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• अयम्: this (man)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Pronoun, Masculine Nominative singular)

• नेष्यति: will spend/lead (the time)
• नेष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Simple future, 3rd person singular, Parasmaipada)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• निशाम्: night
• निशाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Pronoun, Neuter Locative singular)

• मन्त्रयित्वा: having consulted; having deliberated
• मन्त्रयित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन्त्रय् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (Gerund/absolutive: having consulted)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Krama (Sequence/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/अपादानवाचक अव्यय (indeclinable: then/from that)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• व्यवस्थिताः: having remained; stationed; settled
• व्यवस्थिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु) → व्यवस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (Past participle, Masculine Nom. Pl.)

Speaker

Narrator (within the Purāṇic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ascetics confer among themselves in a forest clearing, glancing toward the solitary king; their body language shows concern and resolve to remain.

Characters & Entities

• tāpasas
• rājā (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes practical care: safeguarding a lone traveler is itself a righteous act aligned with spiritual life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it serves the ongoing tīrtha-storyline in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse depicts a dharmic decision—staying to ensure the king is not left alone.