Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

पराङ्मुखा मृता ये च पलायनपरायणाः । तेषामपि गतिं ब्रूहि यादृग्जायेतवाच्युत

Transliteration

parāṅmukhā mṛtā ye ca palāyanaparāyaṇāḥ | teṣāmapi gatiṃ brūhi yādṛgjāyetavācyuta

Translation

Et ceux qui meurent le dos tourné, voués seulement à la fuite—dis-moi aussi leur destinée, ô Acyuta : quel état atteignent-ils ?

Word by Word

• पराङ्मुखाः: turned away; facing away
• पराङ्मुखाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पराङ्मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; समासः—पराङ् (पराङ्=विपरीतदिशि/away) + मुख (face) → पराङ्मुख (turned away)

• मृताः: dead; slain
• मृताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त; √मृ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• पलायनपरायणाः: intent on fleeing; devoted to escape
• पलायनपरायणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पलायन + परायण (प्रातिपदिके; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—पलायनस्य परायणः (devoted to fleeing)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• अपि: also; even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि=also/even (particle)

• गतिम्: destination; state
• गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• ब्रूहि: tell; speak
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यादृक्: of what kind; such as
• यादृक्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यादृश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः—‘यादृक् (as what kind)’

• जायेत: would arise; would happen
• जायेत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• व: or; indeed (particle)
• व: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: व (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (disjunctive/particle)

• अच्युत: O Acyuta (Vishnu)
• अच्युत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अच्युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; विष्णोः नाम

Speaker

Indra (Vṛtrahā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhārātīrtha (contextually implied)

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra (or a questioner) asks Acyuta/Vishnu about the fate of those who die while fleeing, backs turned, amid a chaotic battlefield near a sacred ford; the mood is tense and morally charged.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu (Acyuta)
• Dhārātīrtha (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma evaluates not only the event of death but also inner disposition—steadfastness versus cowardly flight—especially when death occurs in a sacred context.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhārātīrtha (by immediate context of the Adhyāya).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse asks about moral-spiritual consequence (gati).