Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 101

Devanagari script

एकाकी पार्थिवेन्द्रोऽयं नेष्यति च कथं निशाम् । वनेऽस्मिन्मंत्रयित्वैवं ततोऽत्रैव व्यवस्थिताः

Transliteration

ekākī pārthivendro'yaṃ neṣyati ca kathaṃ niśām | vane'sminmaṃtrayitvaivaṃ tato'traiva vyavasthitāḥ

Translation

« Comment ce seigneur parmi les rois, tout seul, passera-t-il la nuit dans cette forêt ? » Ayant ainsi délibéré dans le bois, ils décidèrent de demeurer là même.

Word by Word

• एकाकी: alone; solitary
• एकाकी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकाकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• पार्थिवेन्द्रः: the king (lord of the earth)
• पार्थिवेन्द्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• अयम्: this (man)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Pronoun, Masculine Nominative singular)

• नेष्यति: will spend/lead (the time)
• नेष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Simple future, 3rd person singular, Parasmaipada)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• निशाम्: night
• निशाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Pronoun, Neuter Locative singular)

• मन्त्रयित्वा: having consulted; having deliberated
• मन्त्रयित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन्त्रय् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (Gerund/absolutive: having consulted)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Krama (Sequence/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/अपादानवाचक अव्यय (indeclinable: then/from that)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• व्यवस्थिताः: having remained; stationed; settled
• व्यवस्थिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु) → व्यवस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (Past participle, Masculine Nom. Pl.)

Speaker

Narrator (within the Purāṇic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ascetics confer among themselves in a forest clearing, glancing toward the solitary king; their body language shows concern and resolve to remain.

Characters & Entities

• tāpasas
• rājā (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes practical care: safeguarding a lone traveler is itself a righteous act aligned with spiritual life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it serves the ongoing tīrtha-storyline in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse depicts a dharmic decision—staying to ensure the king is not left alone.