Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

एतस्य मम मित्रस्य तेन दृष्टेन कारणम् । अन्यथा जायते मृत्युस्ततोऽहं त्वां समागतः

Transliteration

etasya mama mitrasya tena dṛṣṭena kāraṇam | anyathā jāyate mṛtyustato'haṃ tvāṃ samāgataḥ

Translation

Pour le bien de cet ami qui est mien—afin qu’il soit « vu », c’est-à-dire reconnu—je suis venu. Autrement, la mort surviendrait ; c’est pourquoi je me suis approché de toi.»

Word by Word

• एतस्य: of this
• एतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• मित्रस्य: of (my) friend
• मित्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• तेन: by that / by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• दृष्टेन: by (his) being seen / by the sight
• दृष्टेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; अत्र तृतीया-हेतु/करण-भावः

• कारणम्: cause, reason
• कारणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (predicate)

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: otherwise)

• जायते: arises, happens
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मृत्युः: death
• मृत्युः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ततः: therefore, from that
• ततः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: तस्मात्-अर्थे अव्यय (adverb: therefore/from that)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• समागतः: (have) come, arrived
• समागतः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP used as finite/predicative), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ghṛtakambala

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A concerned visitor approaches a revered figure, explaining he has come for a friend’s sake to prevent death; gestures of supplication and urgency dominate.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Indradyumna (contextual)
• Baka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Compassionate intervention—seeking truth and reassurance—can protect a devotee from despair and self-destruction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tirtha appears in this verse; it supports the broader tīrtha narrative arc by motivating the consultation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the act emphasized is approaching a realized elder for authoritative guidance.