Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

एवमुक्त्वा ततः सर्वे वाराणस्यां ततः परम् । प्रस्थिता धावमानाश्च वेगेन महता ततः

Transliteration

evamuktvā tataḥ sarve vārāṇasyāṃ tataḥ param | prasthitā dhāvamānāśca vegena mahatā tataḥ

Translation

Nachdem sie so gesprochen hatten, brachen sie alle von Vārāṇasī auf und liefen mit großer Geschwindigkeit weiter.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb: “thus”)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त्वा (ल्यप्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having said)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kālādhi-kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal adverbial/कालवाचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रमवाचक (then/thereafter)

• सर्वे: all (of them)
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (plural)

• वाराणस्याम्: in Vārāṇasī
• वाराणस्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन (singular)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kālādhi-kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal adverbial/कालवाचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक (thereafter)

• परम्: further/afterwards
• परम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग (adverbial accusative); ‘further/afterwards’ अर्थे

• प्रस्थिताः: set out
• प्रस्थिताः: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकालिक क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle used finitely); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘प्रस्थित’ = departed/set out

• धावमानाः: running
• धावमानाः: Karta (Agent as participial qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धाव् (धातु) + शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• वेगेन: with speed
• वेगेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• महता: great
• महता: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; ‘वेगेन’ इति विशेषण

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kālādhi-kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal adverbial/कालवाचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक (then)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wide shot of sages running together, dust and wind lines showing speed, the skyline of Kāśī receding behind them, their faces fixed on the goal.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī
• Munayaḥ (Sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It illustrates intense longing for darśana, while preparing the story’s corrective teaching about the spirit behind pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī (Kāśī) as the setting, with the journey aimed toward Hāṭakeśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is narrative movement describing the pilgrims’ haste.