Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

एवं तस्य तृषार्तस्य पतितस्य धरातले । धृतप्राणस्य कृच्छ्रेण संयातोऽस्ताचलं रविः

Transliteration

evaṃ tasya tṛṣārtasya patitasya dharātale | dhṛtaprāṇasya kṛcchreṇa saṃyāto'stācalaṃ raviḥ

Translation

So lag jener Mann, von Durst gequält, auf die Erde gestürzt und hielt das Leben nur mit größter Mühe fest; schließlich sank die Sonne hinter den Berg des Westens.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन (Genitive singular)

• तृषार्तस्य: of the thirst-afflicted
• तृषार्तस्य: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of 'तस्य')
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृषा + आर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (तृषया आर्तः); पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, एकवचन (Genitive singular)

• पतितस्य: of the fallen
• पतितस्य: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of 'तस्य')
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पत् (धातु) → पतित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, एकवचन (Genitive singular)

• धरातले: on the ground
• धरातले: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरा + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (धरायाः तलम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (Locative singular)

• धृतप्राणस्य: of one who held on to life-breath
• धृतप्राणस्य: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of 'तस्य')
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धृ (धातु) → धृत (कृदन्त) + प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (धृताः प्राणाः यस्य); भूतकृदन्त (क्त) + समास; पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, एकवचन (Genitive singular)

• कृच्छ्रेण: with difficulty
• कृच्छ्रेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/means; adverbial)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे नपुंसकं सामान्यं); तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन (Instrumental singular); क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (with difficulty)

• संयातः: went/approached
• संयातः: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+या (धातु) → संयात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियापदवत् (finite sense: 'went/approached')

• अस्ताचलम्: the western mountain (mount of setting)
• अस्ताचलम्: Karma (Object/goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त + अचल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास (अस्तः अचलः = अस्ताचलः, 'setting-mountain'); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• रविः: the sun
• रविः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (Nominative singular)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A man lies sprawled on the sand, lips cracked, eyes half-open; the sun sinks red-orange at the horizon, long shadows stretching across an empty waste.

Characters & Entities

• Ravi (Sun)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even at the edge of life, endurance and patience precede the turning point where grace can appear.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse sets the scene within the Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative; the specific tīrtha is developed in the surrounding passage rather than named here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is narrative setup (time passing and the traveler’s condition).