Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

अहं निर्वेदमापन्नो रोगेणाथ बुभुक्षया । मुण्डीरस्वामिनं यावन्न शक्रोमि प्रसर्पितुम्

Transliteration

ahaṃ nirvedamāpanno rogeṇātha bubhukṣayā | muṇḍīrasvāminaṃ yāvanna śakromi prasarpitum

Translation

“I have fallen into despair—stricken by illness and hunger. I am not able to crawl forward as far as Muṇḍīrasvāmin.”

Word by Word

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

• निर्वेदम्: despondency/disgust
• निर्वेदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; object with आपन्नः (state attained)

• आपन्नः: having fallen into/attained
• आपन्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + पद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; having attained

• रोगेण: due to illness
• रोगेण: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; instrumental of cause

• अथ: and/then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; discourse particle (and/then)

• बुभुक्षया: by hunger
• बुभुक्षया: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुभुक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; instrumental of cause (by hunger)

• मुण्डीरस्वामिनम्: Muṇḍīra-Svāmin (Lord Muṇḍīra)
• मुण्डीरस्वामिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुण्डीर (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मुण्डीरस्य स्वामी)

• यावत्: as far as / until
• यावत्: Desha-Kala (Limit/सीमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; यावत्-शब्दः परिमाण/सीमा-अर्थे (as far as / until)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय; negation

• शक्रोमि: I am able
• शक्रोमि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शक् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; Present (I am able)

• प्रसर्पितुम्: to crawl/move forward
• प्रसर्पितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + सृप् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), अव्ययवत्; infinitive of purpose/complement

Speaker

Brāhmaṇa (the afflicted pilgrim)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Muṇḍīrasvāmin (within Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Not specified.

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The pilgrim collapses or crouches by the roadside, skin marked by disease, clutching his belly in hunger, speaking to his wife: he cannot even crawl to Muṇḍīrasvāmin’s shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Muṇḍīrasvāmin
• roga (disease)
• bubhukṣā (hunger)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage includes trials of body and mind; acknowledging weakness becomes the ground for grace and renewed resolve.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Muṇḍīrasvāmin is the principal shrine the pilgrim longs to reach for darśana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is stated; the verse highlights the pilgrim’s incapacity, preparing the narrative for the tīrtha’s saving power.