Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

एवं वर्षसहस्रांते भ्रमतस्तस्यभूतलम् । विप्रस्य पक्षिनाथस्य वरार्थाय द्रिजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

evaṃ varṣasahasrāṃte bhramatastasyabhūtalam | viprasya pakṣināthasya varārthāya drijottamāḥ

Translation

So setzte der vortrefflichste der Brahmanen, nachdem er tausend Jahre lang über die Erde umhergeirrt war, um einen Bräutigam zu finden, seine Suche fort, getragen vom Herrn der Vögel.

Word by Word

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

• वर्षसहस्रान्ते: at the end of a thousand years
• वर्षसहस्रान्ते: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष + सहस्र + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (अन्त-शब्दः पुं); सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘वर्षसहस्रस्य अन्ते’ (locative: at the end of a thousand years)

• भ्रमतः: of (him) wandering
• भ्रमतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु) → भ्रमन् (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle); षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग; ‘भ्रमतः’ = “of (him) wandering”

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

• भूतलम्: the earth’s surface, ground
• भूतलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• विप्रस्य: of the brāhmaṇa
• विप्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• पक्षिनाथस्य: of the lord of birds
• पक्षिनाथस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षिन् + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; ‘पक्षिणां नाथः’ (lord of birds)

• वरार्थाय: for obtaining a boon
• वरार्थाय: Sampradāna (Purpose/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (dative of purpose)

• द्रिजोत्तमाः: the best of the twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• द्रिजोत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रिज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; ‘द्रिजाः (द्विजाः) ये उत्तमाः’ (best of the twice-born)

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa seeker, aged by time, journeys across varied landscapes for a thousand years, carried by the lord of birds; the earth below shows rivers, forests, and distant shrines—an epic sense of duration and vow.

Characters & Entities

• Vipra (brāhmaṇa)
• Garuḍa (lord of birds)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Perseverance in dharma may span immense time; sincere intent is sustained until the right divine resolution appears.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse frames an extended pilgrimage; the specific kṣetra is indicated shortly afterward.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the emphasis is on the austerity-like endurance of prolonged wandering.