Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

तथान्याः कौतुकाविष्टा धावंत्यः सर्वतोदिशम् । दृश्यंते तं समुद्दिश्य विस्तारितविलोचनाः

Transliteration

tathānyāḥ kautukāviṣṭā dhāvaṃtyaḥ sarvatodiśam | dṛśyaṃte taṃ samuddiśya vistāritavilocanāḥ

Translation

De même les autres, saisies de curiosité, couraient de tous côtés ; on les voyait se précipiter vers lui, les yeux grands ouverts dans un regard avide.

Word by Word

• tathā: thus, in that manner
• tathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/रीति-वाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• anyāḥ: others (women)
• anyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative); बहुवचन (Plural)

• kautuka-āviṣṭāḥ: overcome with curiosity
• kautuka-āviṣṭāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival to anyāḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kautuka (प्रातिपदिक) + ā-viś (धातु) → āviṣṭa (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘आविष्ट’ = ‘possessed/overcome’; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (kautukena āviṣṭāḥ)

• dhāvantyaḥ: running
• dhāvantyaḥ: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhāv (धातु) → dhāvat (शतृ-कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; क्रियार्थे (finite sense)

• sarvataḥ: from all sides
• sarvataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/दिक्-वाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: from all sides)

• diśam: direction
• diśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: diś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative); एकवचन

• dṛśyante: are seen
• dṛśyante: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (Accusative); एकवचन

• samuddiśya: having aimed at / looking toward
• samuddiśya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial; prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sam-ud-diś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive); ‘समुद्दिश्य’ = ‘उद्दिश्य/लक्ष्यीकृत्य’

• vistārita-vilocanāḥ: with widened eyes
• vistārita-vilocanāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival to anyāḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vistārita (कृदन्त) + vilocana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (vistāritāni vilocanāni yāsām)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) — deductive attribution

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sudden commotion: groups of women, seized by curiosity, run from all directions toward a striking ascetic figure; faces turned, eyes widened, garments and ornaments in mid-motion; a royal road as the central axis.

Characters & Entities

• Tāpasyaḥ (women ascetics)
• Śiva (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unchecked curiosity becomes agitation; spiritual life requires steadiness of attention and senses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Nāgarakhaṇḍa sacred hermitage-forest, depicted as the setting for transformative encounters with the divine.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse continues the narrative portrayal of sensory distraction as a dharma lesson.