Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

सोऽपश्यदाश्रमं शून्यं लिखितेन विवर्जितम्

Transliteration

so'paśyadāśramaṃ śūnyaṃ likhitena vivarjitam

Translation

Er sah den Āśrama leer und verlassen; Likhita war nicht dort.

Word by Word

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

• अपश्यत्: saw
• अपश्यत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• आश्रमम्: the hermitage
• आश्रमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• शून्यम्: empty
• शून्यम्: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शून्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणं ‘आश्रमम्’

• लिखितेन: by Likhita
• लिखितेन: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिखित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• विवर्जितम्: devoid of/without
• विवर्जितम्: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-वर्ज् (धातु) → विवर्जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणं ‘आश्रमम्’

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration within Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Likhitāśrama (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śaṅkha stands at the threshold of a silent hermitage—no sage, no smoke from fire, only still huts and a quiet grove.

Characters & Entities

• Likhita

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is tested in ordinary moments; the scene is set for a moral decision when the hermitage is unattended.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse sits within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya framework, but the specific tīrtha name is not stated in this single line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is narrative context.