Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

अन्ये लोकास्तथा धर्मास्तेषां मध्ये व्यवस्थिताः । पृच्छन्नपि न जानाति संबंधं केनचित्सह

Transliteration

anye lokāstathā dharmāsteṣāṃ madhye vyavasthitāḥ | pṛcchannapi na jānāti saṃbaṃdhaṃ kenacitsaha

Translation

Là s’établissaient d’autres mondes et d’autres règles du dharma au milieu d’eux. Même en questionnant, il ne pouvait saisir aucun lien avec qui que ce soit.

Word by Word

• अन्ये: other
• अन्ये: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — nominative plural

• लोकाः: worlds/realms
• लोकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — nominative plural

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक — ‘thus/likewise’

• धर्माः: laws/duties
• धर्माः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — nominative plural

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, बहुवचन — genitive plural

• मध्ये: in the midst
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — locative singular (often adverbial)

• व्यवस्थिताः: are established
• व्यवस्थिताः: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — ‘arranged/established’

• पृच्छन्: asking
• पृच्छन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (शतृ); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — present participle ‘asking’

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपवादार्थक — ‘even/also’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपातः — negative particle

• जानाति: knows
• जानाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — present, 3rd person singular

• संबन्धम्: connection/relationship
• संबन्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम् + बन्ध (धातु) → सम्बन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — accusative singular

• केनचित्: with someone/anyone
• केनचित्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया, एकवचन; ‘चित्’ प्रत्ययेन अनिश्चितार्थ — instrumental singular ‘by someone/with someone’

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakaraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक-उपपद — ‘with’ (governs तृतीया)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic frame narrator; specific speaker not explicit in this snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king stands amid a crowd that looks human yet unfamiliar; their dress, rituals, and gestures differ. He questions them, but faces remain blank or incomprehensible, emphasizing isolation within a bustling ‘other-world’ marketplace or settlement.

Characters & Entities

• king

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma can appear different across realms and conditions; without right context and guidance, one becomes spiritually and socially disoriented.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it continues the broader tīrtha-narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.