Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु विश्वामित्रो महामुनिः । चर्मास्थिशेषसर्वांगो बुभुक्षार्त इतस्ततः

Transliteration

etasminneva kāle tu viśvāmitro mahāmuniḥ | carmāsthiśeṣasarvāṃgo bubhukṣārta itastataḥ

Translation

Zu ebenjener Zeit wanderte der große Weise Viśvāmitra, dessen ganzer Körper nur noch aus Haut und Knochen bestand, von Hunger geplagt hierhin und dorthin.

Word by Word

• एतस्मिन्: in this
• एतस्मिन्: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-शब्दः (demonstrative pronoun)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• काले: at the time
• काले: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• तु: but/and then
• तु: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (adversative/contrast particle)

• विश्वामित्रः: Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्रः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वामित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• महामुनिः: the great sage
• महामुनिः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—महान् + मुनिः (विशेषण-विशेष्यभावः)

• चर्मास्थिशेषसर्वाङ्गः: whose whole body was only skin and bones
• चर्मास्थिशेषसर्वाङ्गः: कर्ता-विशेषण (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चर्म + अस्थि + शेष + सर्व + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—यस्य सर्वाङ्गं चर्म-अस्थि-शेषमात्रम् (whose whole body is only skin-and-bone remnants)

• बुभुक्षार्तः: distressed by hunger
• बुभुक्षार्तः: कर्ता-विशेषण (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बुभुक्षा (प्रातिपदिक) + आर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—बुभुक्षया आर्तः (afflicted by hunger)

• इतस्: from here
• इतस्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• ततः: from there/thereafter
• ततः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narration style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Emaciated Viśvāmitra, skin-and-bone, wandering under harsh light, eyes sunken yet resolute; a desolate landscape foreshadowing a grim settlement.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even great sages face extreme trials; the Purāṇa uses such tests to highlight endurance, humility, and the deeper search for dharmic refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it introduces Viśvāmitra’s movement within the chapter’s tīrtha-centered storyline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates Viśvāmitra’s condition and wandering.