Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

ततोऽहं सत्वरं गत्वा दृष्ट्वा तां पतितां भुवि । विलापान्कृतवान्दीनो रुदितं करुणस्वरम्

Transliteration

tato'haṃ satvaraṃ gatvā dṛṣṭvā tāṃ patitāṃ bhuvi | vilāpānkṛtavāndīno ruditaṃ karuṇasvaram

Translation

Daraufhin eilte ich dorthin; als ich sie auf der Erde hingestürzt sah, klagte ich elend und weinte mit einer von Mitgefühl schweren Stimme.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Time/sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थे (thereupon)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सत्वरम्: quickly
• सत्वरम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सत्वर (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत्)
• Form: अव्ययवत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: quickly/hastily)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्यय (having gone)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्यय (having seen)

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object of 'dṛṣṭvā')
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पतिताम्: fallen
• पतिताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of 'tām')
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √पत् (धातु) → पतित (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; कृदन्त-विशेषण (fallen)

• भुवि: on the earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचन

• विलापान्: lamentations
• विलापान्: Karma (Object of 'kṛtavān')
• Type: Noun
• Root: विलाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• कृतवान्: did, made
• कृतवान्: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु) → कृतवत् (कृदन्त; क्तवतुँ)
• Form: क्तवतुँ-प्रत्ययान्त (perfective past participle used as finite); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः (I did/made)

• दीनः: miserable
• दीनः: Visheshana (Qualifier of 'aham')
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (wretched, miserable)

• रुदितम्: weeping, crying
• रुदितम्: Karma (Appositional object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: √रुद् (धातु) → रुदित (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; कृदन्त-नाम (weeping/crying)

• करुणस्वरम्: with a pitiful voice
• करुणस्वरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of 'ruditam')
• Type: Adjective
• Root: करुण (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (करुणः स्वरः यस्य तत् = of a pitiful tone)

Speaker

Sūta (first-person narrator within the episode)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: “sūtaja”

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The husband runs to the spot, sees his wife lying lifeless on the ground, and breaks into a compassionate wail; companions stand around; the forest seems to darken with sorrow.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• the fallen woman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Grief is natural, but Purāṇic dharma guides it toward meaningful action—rites, remembrance, and seeking sacred refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it remains within the broader tīrtha-māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None yet; the verse narrates the immediate emotional response.