Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

लक्ष्मणोऽपि धनुः सज्यं कृत्वा संधाय सायकम् । अनुव्रजति पृष्ठस्थस्तस्य च्छिद्रं विलोकयन्

Transliteration

lakṣmaṇo'pi dhanuḥ sajyaṃ kṛtvā saṃdhāya sāyakam | anuvrajati pṛṣṭhasthastasya cchidraṃ vilokayan

Translation

Lakṣmaṇa aussi, bandant son arc et y ajustant une flèche, suivait par derrière, guettant la moindre ouverture ou défaillance.

Word by Word

• lakṣmaṇaḥ: Lakṣmaṇa
• lakṣmaṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle: also)

• dhanuḥ: bow
• dhanuḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhanus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• sajyam: strung, ready
• sajyam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sajya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying dhanuḥ)

• kṛtvā: having made (it)
• kṛtvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल

• saṃdhāya: having fitted/placed
• saṃdhāya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√dhā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल; 'having fixed/placed'

• sāyakam: arrow
• sāyakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• anuvrajati: follows
• anuvrajati: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu-√vraj (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• pṛṣṭha-sthaḥ: standing behind
• pṛṣṭha-sthaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pṛṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक) + stha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (pṛṣṭhe tiṣṭhati = standing at the back/behind); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying lakṣmaṇaḥ)

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• chidram: gap, weak point
• chidram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: chidra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• vilokayan: watching, observing
• vilokayan: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√lok (धातु) → vilokayat (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियासहचर (concomitant action)

Speaker

Narrator

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas/ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Daybreak march: Rāma ahead with Sītā; Lakṣmaṇa behind, bow strung, arrow nocked, eyes scanning the path and surroundings for any opening; dynamic diagonal composition suggesting movement.

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmaṇa
• Rāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes vigilant protection of the righteous; discipline and readiness support sacred journeys.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative proceeds toward Gokarṇa, where Maheśvara is worshipped.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes martial preparedness as part of kṣātra-duty.