Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

एवं प्रगच्छता तेन क्षुत्पिपासाकुलेन च । अदूरादेव संदृष्टं नीलं द्रुमकदंबकम् । भ्रममाणैर्बकैर्हंसैः सारसैर्मद्गुभिस्तथा

Transliteration

evaṃ pragacchatā tena kṣutpipāsākulena ca | adūrādeva saṃdṛṣṭaṃ nīlaṃ drumakadaṃbakam | bhramamāṇairbakairhaṃsaiḥ sārasairmadgubhistathā

Translation

So zog er weiter, von Hunger und Durst gequält, und nicht weit entfernt erblickte er ein dunkelblaues Gehölz; darum kreisten Kraniche, Schwäne, Sārasa-Vögel und auch Madgu-Vögel.

Word by Word

• evaṃ: thus
• evaṃ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evaṃ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• pragacchatā: by/with (him) going forth
• pragacchatā: Karta (Agent, participial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्यय, present active participle); तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental, 3rd), एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (contextual)

• tena: by him/with him
• tena: Sahakāraka (Instrument/Associate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental, 3rd), एकवचन

• kṣut-pipāsā-ākulena: distressed by hunger and thirst
• kṣut-pipāsā-ākulena: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of tena/pragacchatā)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣut (क्षुत् प्रातिपदिक) + pipāsā (पिपासा प्रातिपदिक) + ākula (आकुल प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: क्षुत्+पिपासा (द्वन्द्व) + आकुल (तत्पुरुष-भाव); पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental, 3rd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• adūrāt: from not far (away)
• adūrāt: Deśādhikaraṇa (Locative/Spatial adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adūra (अदूर प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोग; पञ्चमी-अर्थे अव्यय (ablatival adverb)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Nipāta (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis/indeed)

• saṃdṛṣṭam: was seen
• saṃdṛṣṭam: Karma (Object; predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: saṃ√dṛś (दृश् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (seen)

• nīlam: blue/dark
• nīlam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of drumakadaṃbakam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nīla (नील प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• druma-kadaṃbakam: a clump/grove of trees
• druma-kadaṃbakam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: druma (द्रुम प्रातिपदिक) + kadaṃbaka (कदंबक प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: द्रुमकदंबक (षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष; ‘of trees’/‘among trees’ cluster); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन

• bhramamāṇaiḥ: wandering/roaming
• bhramamāṇaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of bakaiḥ/haṃsaiḥ etc.)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhram (भ्रम् धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शानच्-प्रत्यय, present middle participle); तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental, 3rd), बहुवचन; पुंलिङ्ग

• bakaiḥ: by herons/cranes
• bakaiḥ: Sahakāraka (Accompaniment/Association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: baka (बक प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental, 3rd), बहुवचन

• haṃsaiḥ: by swans
• haṃsaiḥ: Sahakāraka (Accompaniment/Association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: haṃsa (हंस प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental, 3rd), बहुवचन

• sārasaiḥ: by sarasa-cranes
• sārasaiḥ: Sahakāraka (Accompaniment/Association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sārasa (सारस प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental, 3rd), बहुवचन

• madgubhiḥ: by waterfowl (madgu birds)
• madgubhiḥ: Sahakāraka (Accompaniment/Association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madgu (मद्गु प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental, 3rd), बहुवचन

• tathā: likewise/also
• tathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थ (adverb: likewise/also)

Speaker

Sūta (narrative continuation implied)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A travel-worn king, parched and hungry, glimpses a deep indigo-green grove near a lake; above it circle cranes, swans, sārasa, and madgu birds, suggesting cool shade and sanctity ahead.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The pilgrim’s hardship (hunger and thirst) heightens the sanctity of the refuge found in tīrtha landscapes marked by purity and life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A lake-grove environment is being approached; the verse itself does not provide the tīrtha’s formal name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated, but the lake-and-bird setting typically foreshadows snāna (sacred bathing) in the upcoming narrative.