Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

अत्रस्थो यः कुलायो म आसीच्छिशुसमन्वितः । संदग्धस्तत्प्रतापेन अहंकृच्छ्राद्विनिर्गतः

Transliteration

atrastho yaḥ kulāyo ma āsīcchiśusamanvitaḥ | saṃdagdhastatpratāpena ahaṃkṛcchrādvinirgataḥ

Translation

„Mein Nest, das hier war, mitsamt meinen Jungen, wurde von der Glut seiner Macht verbrannt; und ich selbst entkam nur mit größter Mühe.“

Word by Word

• अत्रस्थः: situated here
• अत्रस्थः: Karta (Qualifier of subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अत्र + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (one situated here)

• यः: which
• यः: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कुलायः: nest
• कुलायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुलाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध-षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शिशुसमन्वितः: with chicks
• शिशुसमन्वितः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिशु + समन्वित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (endowed/filled with chicks)

• संदग्धः: burnt
• संदग्धः: Karta (Predicate adjective of ‘I’/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + दह् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, past passive participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तत्प्रतापेन: by its heat/power
• तत्प्रतापेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् + प्रताप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; करण

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कृच्छ्रात्: with difficulty
• कृच्छ्रात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-प्रयोगे अव्ययवत् (ablatival adverb); ‘with difficulty/from distress’

• विनिर्गतः: escaped, came out
• विनिर्गतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + निर् + गम् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘gone out/escaped’

Speaker

Śuka

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śamī-garbha-Aśvattha (Agni-nivāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The parrot recounts its tragedy: a nest with chicks near the sacred tree was scorched by Agni’s fierce heat; the bird barely escaped.

Characters & Entities

• Śuka
• Agni (implied)
• Nest (kulāya)
• Fledglings (śiśu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred power is real and intense; beings must approach holy forces with reverence, awareness, and restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

It continues the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya account (Adhyāya 90) centered on the śamī–aśvattha locus where Agni abides.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated; it narrates the consequence of Agni’s presence and sets up the ensuing divine response.