Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

आगच्छन्तो व्रजन्तस्ते मार्गे क्षेत्रे च तत्र च । भक्षयन्ति जनौघांश्च बालवृद्धाञ्जनानपि

Transliteration

āgacchanto vrajantaste mārge kṣetre ca tatra ca | bhakṣayanti janaughāṃśca bālavṛddhāñjanānapi

Translation

Allant et venant—sur les routes et jusque dans l’enceinte sacrée—ils dévoraient des foules d’hommes, épargnant ni les enfants ni les vieillards.

Word by Word

• आगच्छन्तः: coming
• आगच्छन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले (लट्-अर्थे) शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः; पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्; कर्तरि प्रयोगः (present active participle, nominative plural masculine)

• व्रजन्तः: going
• व्रजन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले (लट्-अर्थे) शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः; पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्; कर्तरि (present active participle, nominative plural masculine)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा-बहुवचनम् (pronoun, nominative plural masculine)

• मार्गे: on the road
• मार्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे सप्तमी-एकवचनम् (locative singular masculine)

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred region
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी-एकवचनम् (locative singular neuter)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of place)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• भक्षयन्ति: they devour
• भक्षयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः; परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः; बहुवचनम् (present indicative, 3rd plural)

• जनौघान्: crowds of people
• जनौघान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन + ओघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जनानाम् ओघः); पुल्लिङ्गे द्वितीया-बहुवचनम् (accusative plural masculine)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• बालवृद्धान्: children and the elderly
• बालवृद्धान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल + वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (बालाश्च वृद्धाश्च); पुल्लिङ्गे द्वितीया-बहुवचनम् (accusative plural masculine)

• जनान्: people
• जनान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे द्वितीया-बहुवचनम् (accusative plural masculine)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-निपातः (particle: also/even)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A crowded pilgrimage road near a sacred precinct; shadowy rākṣasa figures ambush and seize travelers; children and elders are shown in peril; the kṣetra boundary markers and distant shrine silhouettes emphasize sacrilege.

Characters & Entities

• Rākṣasas
• Kṣetra (sacred precinct)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A kṣetra’s sanctity calls for protection of pilgrims; adharma can manifest even near holy places, prompting the need for righteous guardianship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The kṣetra associated with the liṅgas of Adhyāya 104, described as a sacred precinct affected by Rākṣasa activity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse describes an obstacle (vighna) to pilgrimage and worship—harm to travelers and residents.