Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

ततोऽरण्यं समासाद्य वीक्षांचक्रे समंततः । सूक्ष्मदृष्ट्या स दुर्गाणि गहनानि वनानि च

Transliteration

tato'raṇyaṃ samāsādya vīkṣāṃcakre samaṃtataḥ | sūkṣmadṛṣṭyā sa durgāṇi gahanāni vanāni ca

Translation

Puis, parvenu à la forêt, il scruta de tous côtés avec une attention aiguë, examinant les passages escarpés et les bois épais.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Sequence/अनन्तर)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय/तद्-प्रभव)
• Form: काल/अनन्तरवाचक-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• araṇyam: the forest
• araṇyam: Karma (Goal-object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: araṇya (अरण्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• samāsādya: having reached
• samāsādya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sam-ā-√sad (सद् धातु) + lyap (ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund), ‘having reached/approached’

• vīkṣām: a search/look
• vīkṣām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīkṣā (वीक्षा प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• cakre: did/made
• cakre: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• samantataḥ: all around
• samantataḥ: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samantataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (on all sides)

• sūkṣma-dṛṣṭyā: with keen sight
• sūkṣma-dṛṣṭyā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūkṣma (सूक्ष्म) + dṛṣṭi (दृष्टि)
• Form: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (sūkṣmā dṛṣṭiḥ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• durgāṇi: difficult passes/forts
• durgāṇi: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: durga (दुर्ग प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• gahanāni: dense
• gahanāni: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gahana (गहन प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (of vanāni/durgāṇi)

• vanāni: forests
• vanāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (वन प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (and)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced; narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cāmatkārapura environs (araṇya)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-sattama (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The cowherd enters a thick forest, turning his head in all directions, scanning ravines and shadowy thickets with intense concentration.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Diligent effort and attentive searching symbolize the seeker’s path; sacred geography is approached through perseverance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not explicitly stated in this verse; it describes movement through the landscape preceding tīrtha identification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.