Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

सौराष्ट्रं मनसि ध्यात्वा प्रस्थितस्तदनन्तरम् । सुभिक्षं लोकतः श्रुत्वा जीवनाय द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

saurāṣṭraṃ manasi dhyātvā prasthitastadanantaram | subhikṣaṃ lokataḥ śrutvā jīvanāya dvijottamāḥ

Translation

Fixing Saurāṣṭra in my mind, I set out at once—having heard from people that abundance was found there, so that we might survive, O best of the twice-born.

Word by Word

• सौराष्ट्रम्: Saurāṣṭra (region)
• सौराष्ट्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौराष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• मनसि: in (his) mind
• मनसि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• ध्यात्वा: having meditated (on)
• ध्यात्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• प्रस्थितः: set out / departed
• प्रस्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण)

• अनन्तरम्: immediately after
• अनन्तरम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (immediately after)

• सुभिक्षम्: good abundance (of food)
• सुभिक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु-भिक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः: सु + भिक्ष (good + food/abundance)

• लोकतः: from people / from the public
• लोकतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन; -तः (ablatival)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• जीवनाय: for livelihood / for living
• जीवनाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन), एकवचन

• द्विजोत्तमाः: excellent twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः: द्विजानाम् उत्तमाः (श्रेष्ठ ब्राह्मणाः)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (a merchant/traveler) within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Saurāṣṭra-maṇḍala (regional kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed to ‘dvijottamāḥ’ (best of twice-born), implying a brāhmaṇa audience within the frame narrative

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A weary brāhmaṇa traveler, with spouse, pauses at the threshold of a long journey; Saurashtra is envisioned as a luminous western land in his mind, while the road stretches ahead under a hot sky.

Characters & Entities

• Saurāṣṭra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In distress, one seeks a sustaining refuge; the Purāṇic pattern often turns such journeys into encounters with tīrthas and renewed dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Saurāṣṭra is indicated as the destination region; the particular tīrtha is introduced in the subsequent verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates the decision to travel based on hearing of abundance.