Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

ततः प्रणम्य तां देवीं संप्रयाति पुनर्गृहम् । सैन्येन चतुरंगेण समंतात्परिवारितः

Transliteration

tataḥ praṇamya tāṃ devīṃ saṃprayāti punargṛham | sainyena caturaṃgeṇa samaṃtātparivāritaḥ

Translation

Puis, s’étant prosterné devant la Déesse, il repartait vers sa demeure, entouré de toutes parts par son armée aux quatre corps.

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्ययम् (Adverb) तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त; क्रम/अनन्तर्यवाचकम्

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्तम् (Gerund/Absolutive), उपसर्गः प्र-

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• देवीम्: the goddess
• देवीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम् (Singular); ताम् इति सर्वनाम्नः विशेष्यः

• संप्रयाति: departs/goes forth
• संप्रयाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (Singular); परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्गाः सम्+प्र-

• पुनः: again/back
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (Adverb) पुनरावृत्तिवाचकम्

• गृहम्: home
• गृहम्: Karma (Goal as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• सैन्येन: with an army
• सैन्येन: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• चतुरङ्गेण: fourfold
• चतुरङ्गेण: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम् (Singular); विशेषणम् सैन्येन; चतुरङ्ग-सेनायाम् (fourfold: elephants, chariots, cavalry, infantry)

• समन्तात्: on all sides
• समन्तात्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्तात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (Adverb) दिशावाचकम् (from all sides)

• परिवारितः: surrounded/escorted
• परिवारितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृ (धातु; √वृ with उपसर्ग परि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम् (Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle)

Speaker

Deductive (Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Purāṇic framing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the temple threshold, the king bows to the Devī; behind him the fourfold army—elephants, chariots, cavalry, infantry—waits in orderly formation as he departs.

Characters & Entities

• The Goddess (Devī)
• Caturaṅga-senā (fourfold army)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly power and protection are portrayed as secondary; the king’s true refuge is reverent surrender before the Goddess.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Devī-abode within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s tīrtha circuit; the verse highlights the shrine as a royal destination of worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bowing/prostration (praṇāma) to the Goddess as part of the pilgrimage observance.