Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

। सूत उवाच । एतस्मिन्नंतरे प्राप्तास्तस्य भूपस्य सेवकाः । केचिच्च दैवयो गेन श्वापदैरर्धभक्षिताः

Transliteration

| sūta uvāca | etasminnaṃtare prāptāstasya bhūpasya sevakāḥ | kecicca daivayo gena śvāpadairardhabhakṣitāḥ

Translation

Sūta dit : Pendant ce temps, les serviteurs du roi arrivèrent. Certains d’entre eux, par un retournement du destin, avaient été à demi dévorés par des bêtes sauvages.

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta (the narrator)
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एतस्मिन्: in this
• एतस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• अन्तरे: in the interval
• अन्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘अन्तरे’ = मध्ये (in the interval)

• प्राप्ताः: having arrived/arrived
• प्राप्ताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘arrived’ (as predicate)

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• भूपस्य: of the king
• भूपस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• सेवकाः: servants
• सेवकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेवक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• दैवयोगेन: by fate/through destiny
• दैवयोगेन: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैव + योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; हेतु/निमित्त (by fate)

• श्वापदैः: by wild beasts
• श्वापदैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वापद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• अर्धभक्षिताः: half-devoured
• अर्धभक्षिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्ध + भक्षित (भक्ष् धातु; क्त/PPP)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP) ‘भक्षित’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘केचित्/सेवकाः’)

Speaker

Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dusty road leading into a royal camp or forest clearing: battered servants stagger in, torn garments, bloodied limbs, some carried on makeshift stretchers; the king’s attendants rush forward; the mood is tense and compassionate.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• bhūpa (king)
• sevakāḥ (servants)
• śvāpada (wild beasts)
• daiva (fate)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly journeys carry danger and uncertainty; suffering reminds one of fate and the need for dharmic protection and refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse introduces an incident within the Tīrthamāhātmya flow; the specific tīrtha is not identified in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it narrates the arrival and condition of the king’s attendants.