Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

ततो भयं महद्भूतं कुटुम्बेन समन्वितः । चलितो रजनीवक्त्रे दिगंते ब्राह्मणोत्तमाः

Transliteration

tato bhayaṃ mahadbhūtaṃ kuṭumbena samanvitaḥ | calito rajanīvaktre digaṃte brāhmaṇottamāḥ

Translation

Alors une grande crainte s’éleva ; accompagné de sa famille, il se mit en route, dans l’obscurité de la nuit, vers la contrée lointaine—ô meilleurs des brāhmaṇa.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then/thereupon
• tataḥ: Kala (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): क्रम/अनन्तर्य (thereupon/then)

• bhayam: fear
• bhayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• mahat: great
• mahat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• bhūtam: arisen/occurred
• bhūtam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √bhū (धातु) → bhūta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अर्थ: 'उत्पन्नम्' (arisen)

• kuṭumbena: with the family
• kuṭumbena: Saha (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuṭumba (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instr.), एकवचन

• samanvitaḥ: accompanied/associated
• samanvitaḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-anv√i (धातु) → samanvita (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• calitaḥ: set out/moved
• calitaḥ: Kriya (Action-state/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √cal (धातु) → calita (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थ: 'प्रस्थितः/गतः'

• rajanī-vaktre: in the face of night (i.e., at night)
• rajanī-vaktre: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rajanī (प्रातिपदिक) + vaktra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Loc.), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'रजन्याः वक्त्रे' = रात्रौ (at night)

• dik-ante: at the edge of the quarter/horizon
• dik-ante: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dik (प्रातिपदिक) + anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Loc.), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'दिशः अन्ते' (at the edge of a direction)

• brāhmaṇa-uttamāḥ: O best of Brahmins
• brāhmaṇa-uttamāḥ: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative-sense though nominative form)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'ब्राह्मणानाम् उत्तमाः'

Speaker

Rajaka (continuing narration to the Brāhmaṇas; vocative indicates he addresses them)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇas (brāhmaṇottamāḥ addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A family hurriedly departs at night—dim lamps, cloaks, anxious faces—moving along a path toward a distant horizon; the washerman leads, looking back in fear.

Characters & Entities

• rajaka (washerman)
• kuṭumba (family)
• brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Fear follows adharma and error, but the narrative prepares for dharmic correction through sacred guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha context is implicit; this verse alone does not name the location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates the washerman’s fearful departure with his family.