Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

अंधेव दृष्टिनिर्मुक्ता प्रस्खलंती पदेपदे । वनाधिदेवताः सर्वाः प्राऽर्थयच्च सुतार्थतः

Transliteration

aṃdheva dṛṣṭinirmuktā praskhalaṃtī padepade | vanādhidevatāḥ sarvāḥ prā'rthayacca sutārthataḥ

Translation

Tel un aveugle privé de vue, trébuchant à chaque pas, elle implora toutes les divinités tutélaires de la forêt, uniquement pour son enfant.

Word by Word

• अन्धा: blind (woman)
• अन्धा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; विशेषण (fem. nom. sg.)

• इव: as if, like
• इव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• दृष्टि-निर्मुक्ता: deprived of sight
• दृष्टि-निर्मुक्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक) + निर्मुक्त (कृदन्त; नि√मुच्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दृष्ट्या निर्मुक्ता = deprived of sight)

• प्रस्खलन्ती: stumbling
• प्रस्खलन्ती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√स्खल् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; present active participle (fem. nom. sg.)

• पदे: at (each) step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (locative)

• पदे: at step (repeated: every step)
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (pade pade = at every step)

• वन-अधिदेवताः: presiding deities of the forest
• वन-अधिदेवताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिदेवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वनस्य अधिदेवताः)

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• प्रार्थयत्: she begged/prayed to
• प्रार्थयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√अर्थ् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; parasmaipada (imperfect, 3rd sg.)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सुत-अर्थतः: for her son's sake
• सुत-अर्थतः: Hetu (Cause/Purpose/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित/अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त), हेत्वर्थे (in the sense of 'for the sake of'); सुतार्थ (for son's sake) + -तः (from/for)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A distressed mother, moving as if blind, stumbling through dense forest, hands folded in prayer to unseen forest-deities, driven solely by concern for her child.

Characters & Entities

• Nandinī
• Vanādhidevatāḥ (forest deities)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In helplessness, one seeks divine refuge; sincere prayer becomes a dharmic response to suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this verse; it remains within the broader Tīrthamāhātmya narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The act implied is prārthanā (supplication/prayer) to local presiding deities; no formal rite is detailed.