Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

न च्छिद्रेण विनाऽस्माकं प्राणयात्रा प्रजायते । न जलानि न च च्छाया न यानं न च वाहनम्

Transliteration

na cchidreṇa vinā'smākaṃ prāṇayātrā prajāyate | na jalāni na ca cchāyā na yānaṃ na ca vāhanam

Translation

Sans la moindre « ouverture » ou soutien, notre simple survie ne peut se poursuivre. Pour nous, point d’eau, point d’ombre, point de véhicule, point de monture.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• छिद्रेण: by a hole/opening; by (finding) a gap
• छिद्रेण: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छिद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/हेतु

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Exclusion/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपपद) — ‘without’; सामान्यतः तृतीया-सह

• अस्माकम्: of us
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध

• प्राणयात्रा: maintenance of life; livelihood
• प्राणयात्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण + यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (प्राणानां यात्रा)

• प्रजायते: arises; happens
• प्रजायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• न: no; not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• जलानि: waters
• जलानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; (अस्ति-लोपे)

• न: nor
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

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

• छाया: shade
• छाया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छाया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (अस्ति-लोपे)

• न: nor
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• यानम्: vehicle; conveyance
• यानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (अस्ति-लोपे)

• न: nor
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

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

• वाहनम्: mount; means of transport
• वाहनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (अस्ति-लोपे)

Speaker

Preta(s) (departed spirits) addressing the king

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A barren stretch of road under harsh sun; travelers with parched lips; no water pots, no trees, no carts or animals—only emptiness and fatigue.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The preta condition is depicted as extreme deprivation, implying the necessity of dharmic assistance—especially ancestral rites—to restore order and wellbeing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this shloka; it belongs to a larger tīrtha-māhātmya narrative in Nāgarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is named, but the imagery aligns with śrāddha/piṇḍadāna themes that provide ‘support’ to the departed.