Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

एवमुक्त्वा परित्यज्य सर्वांस्तान्स महीपतिः । जगामारण्यमाश्रित्य पद्भ्यामेव शनैः शनैः

Transliteration

evamuktvā parityajya sarvāṃstānsa mahīpatiḥ | jagāmāraṇyamāśritya padbhyāmeva śanaiḥ śanaiḥ

Translation

So gesprochen, verließ der König sie alle und nahm Zuflucht im Wald; zu Fuß zog er weiter, langsam, Schritt für Schritt.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-viseshana (Manner adverb/रीतिवाचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (thus)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund); अव्ययभावः

• परित्यज्य: having abandoned
• परित्यज्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-tyaj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund); अव्ययभावः

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्; विशेषण

• तान्: those (people)
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• महीपतिः: the king (lord of the earth)
• महीपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुष (मही- पातिः = पृथिव्याः पतिः)

• जगाम: went
• जगाम: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• अरण्यम्: to the forest
• अरण्यम्: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: araṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• आश्रित्य: having resorted to
• आश्रित्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-śri (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund); अव्ययभावः

• पद्भ्याम्: with (his) two feet
• पद्भ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), द्विवचनम्

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Kriya-viseshana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (indeed/only)

• शनैः: slowly
• शनैः: Kriya-viseshana (Manner adverb/रीतिवाचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śanaiḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (slowly)

• शनैः: slowly (repeated for emphasis)
• शनैः: Kriya-viseshana (Manner adverb/रीतिवाचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śanaiḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्त-क्रियाविशेषण (very slowly, step by step)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king leaves everyone behind and walks into the forest alone, barefoot or simply shod, moving slowly; the palace fades, trees thicken, and the path narrows—an image of renunciation.

Characters & Entities

• Triśaṅku (contextual king)
• Forest (āraṇya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Detachment and hardship willingly accepted can mark a turning point from worldly power toward spiritual quest.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears here; the verse depicts movement into the forest, a classic prelude to meeting sages and sacred places.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates departure and renunciant movement.