Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 124

Devanagari script

अथ तां वृद्धिमापन्नां दृष्ट्वा विप्रः सुभद्रकः । चिन्ताचक्रं समारूढो न शांतिमधिगच्छति

Transliteration

atha tāṃ vṛddhimāpannāṃ dṛṣṭvā vipraḥ subhadrakaḥ | cintācakraṃ samārūḍho na śāṃtimadhigacchati

Translation

Alors le brāhmane Subhadra, la voyant parvenue à la maturité, fut saisi par un tourbillon d’inquiétude et ne put trouver la paix.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (particle: ‘then/now’)

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• वृद्धिम्: growth, increase
• वृद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• आपन्नाम्: having attained
• आपन्नाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-आपन्न (कृदन्त; आप्/आप्नोति (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP: ‘having attained’)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund): ‘having seen’

• विप्रः: brahmin
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• सुभद्रकः: Subhadraka
• सुभद्रकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुभद्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम (proper name)

• चिन्ताचक्रम्: a wheel of anxiety
• चिन्ताचक्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिन्ता-चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; उपमानार्थे/अवस्थावाचक (‘wheel of worry’)

• समारूढः: having mounted (i.e., caught in)
• समारूढः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-रुह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP: ‘mounted/ascended’, used predicatively)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• शान्तिम्: peace
• शान्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• अधिगच्छति: attains, finds
• अधिगच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि-गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (Nāgarakhaṇḍa narrative voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇa Subhadra watches the maiden reach maturity; his face tight with worry, he paces or sits with head in hand, visually encircled by a symbolic 'wheel' of thoughts.

Characters & Entities

• Subhadra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Householder responsibilities can generate deep mental turmoil; dharma requires seeking a righteous resolution rather than despair.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes Subhadra’s mental state.