Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

ततोऽहं स्वां समादाय पत्नीं क्षुत्क्षामगात्रिकाम् । अश्रुपूर्णमुखीं दीनां प्रस्खलन्तीं पदेपदे

Transliteration

tato'haṃ svāṃ samādāya patnīṃ kṣutkṣāmagātrikām | aśrupūrṇamukhīṃ dīnāṃ praskhalantīṃ padepade

Translation

Darauf nahm ich meine eigene Gattin mit—ihr Leib vom Hunger ausgezehrt, das Antlitz voller Tränen, elend und bei jedem Schritt strauchelnd.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: तस्मात्-प्रभव-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st) एकवचन; (nom sg)

• svām: my/own
• svām: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचन; (acc sg), विशेषण (पत्नीम् विशेषयति)

• samādāya: having taken
• samādāya: Sambandha (Prior action/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sam-ā-√dā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• patnīm: wife
• patnīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: patnī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचन; (acc sg)

• kṣutkṣāmagātrikām: whose body was emaciated by hunger
• kṣutkṣāmagātrikām: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣut + kṣāma + gātrikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (विशेषण-विशेष्यभावः: ‘क्षुत्-क्षामा गात्रिका यस्याः सा’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचन; (acc sg)

• aśrupūrṇamukhīm: with a face full of tears
• aśrupūrṇamukhīm: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aśru + pūrṇa + mukhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (विशेषण-विशेष्य: ‘अश्रुभिः पूर्णा मुखी’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचन; (acc sg)

• dīnām: wretched
• dīnām: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचन; (acc sg), विशेषण

• praskhalantīm: stumbling
• praskhalantīm: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra√skhal (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचन; (acc sg)

• pade: at every step
• pade: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th) एकवचन; (loc sg)

• pade: at every step
• pade: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th) एकवचन; (loc sg); पुनरुक्ति (distributive)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (a merchant/traveler) within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A starving couple on the road: the husband guiding his weakened, tearful wife who stumbles; sparse landscape, sense of long travel and fragile hope.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes steadfast responsibility toward one’s spouse and dependents, even when survival itself becomes difficult.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not yet named; the verse intensifies the hardship preceding the arrival at a sacred waterbody.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse prepares the narrative context for later acts such as snāna (bathing).