Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

ततः फूत्कर्तुमारब्धा चत्वरेषु त्रिकेषु च । उच्छ्रित्य दक्षिणं पाणिं भ्रममाणा इतस्ततः

Transliteration

tataḥ phūtkartumārabdhā catvareṣu trikeṣu ca | ucchritya dakṣiṇaṃ pāṇiṃ bhramamāṇā itastataḥ

Translation

Puis elle se mit à crier sur les places et aux carrefours à trois voies; levant la main droite, elle errait çà et là.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — 'thereupon/then'

• फूत्कर्तुम्: to hiss/blow (make a phūtkāra)
• फूत्कर्तुम्: Kriya (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: phūtkṛ (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive) — 'to make a hissing/blowing sound'

• आरब्धा: having begun
• आरब्धा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-rabh (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle used adjectivally); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• चत्वरेषु: in the squares/crossroads
• चत्वरेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन

• त्रिकेषु: in the tri-junctions
• त्रिकेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: trika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक-निपात)

• उच्छ्रित्य: having raised
• उच्छ्रित्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud-śri (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: ल्यपन्त (absolutive/gerund) — 'having raised/lifted'

• दक्षिणम्: right (hand)
• दक्षिणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dakṣiṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (पाणिम् इति)

• पाणिम्: hand
• पाणिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāṇi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• भ्रममाणा: wandering/roaming
• भ्रममाणा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhram (धातु) + शानच् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present participle, आत्मनेपद-भाव); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• इतस्ततः: here and there
• इतस्ततः: Adhikarana (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: itas + tatas (अव्यय-द्वन्द्व/युग्म)
• Form: अव्यय-समास (युग्म) — 'here and there'

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, within the chapter)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sorrowful woman wanders through a pilgrimage-town’s open squares and three-way crossings, right hand raised as she calls out repeatedly; townspeople watch from doorways and shopfronts.

Characters & Entities

• Dīrghakanyā
• catvara (square)
• trika (three-way junction)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It depicts active seeking of dharmic remedy—effort and public declaration in pursuit of rightful order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting remains the city context (Vardhamāna) within a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter; no separate tīrtha name appears in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it narrates her public appeal and movement through civic spaces.