Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

कदाचिद्वसतस्तस्य जमदग्नेर्महावने । पुत्रेषु कन्दमूलार्थं निर्गतेषु वनाद्बहिः

Transliteration

kadācidvasatastasya jamadagnermahāvane | putreṣu kandamūlārthaṃ nirgateṣu vanādbahiḥ

Translation

Un jour, tandis que le sage Jamadagni demeurait dans une grande forêt, ses fils sortirent du bois afin de cueillir racines et fruits.

Word by Word

• कदाचित्: once, at some time
• कदाचित्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• वसतः: of (him) dwelling / while dwelling
• वसतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वसत् (वस् धातु, शतृ-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (Present Active Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धे (genitive absolute-like: 'while he was dwelling')

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जमदग्नेः: of Jamadagni
• जमदग्नेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जमदग्नि (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महावने: in the great forest
• महावने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महावन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महत् वनम् = 'great forest')

• पुत्रेषु: when/while the sons (were...)
• पुत्रेषु: Adhikarana (Circumstance/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute sense: 'when the sons...')

• कन्दमूलार्थम्: for (gathering) roots and fruits
• कन्दमूलार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्दमूल + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुषार्थ (कन्दमूलानाम् अर्थम् = 'for the sake of roots and fruits')

• निर्गतेषु: having gone out
• निर्गतेषु: Adhikarana (Circumstance/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्गत (नि + गम् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute: 'when they had gone out')

• वनात्: from the forest
• वनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• बहिः: outside
• बहिः: Desha-adhikarana (Place/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहिः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Jamadagni in a forest hermitage; his sons depart with baskets to gather roots and fruits, sunlight filtering through dense trees, a calm before the storm.

Characters & Entities

• Jamadagni
• his sons

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It highlights the simplicity of āśrama-dharma—sages sustain themselves with forest produce and disciplined living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No new site is named; it continues within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra narrative atmosphere.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes ascetic livelihood (kandamūla) rather than a formal rite.