Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

परिभ्रमंस्ततः प्राप्य कंचिद्ग्रामं निरुद्वसम् । मृतमर्त्योद्भवैव्याप्तमस्थिसंघैः समंततः

Transliteration

paribhramaṃstataḥ prāpya kaṃcidgrāmaṃ nirudvasam | mṛtamartyodbhavaivyāptamasthisaṃghaiḥ samaṃtataḥ

Translation

Errant toujours, il atteignit un village abandonné, rempli de tous côtés d'amas d'ossements humains.

Word by Word

• परिभ्रमन्: wandering around
• परिभ्रमन्: कर्ता-विशेषण (Agent qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्तः—शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; परिभ्रमन् = wandering about

• ततः: then/from there
• ततः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• प्राप्य: having reached
• प्राप्य: पूर्वकाल (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभावः; ‘having reached’

• कञ्चित्: some
• कञ्चित्: कर्म-विशेषण (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-विशेषण (indefinite ‘some’)

• ग्रामम्: village
• ग्रामम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• निरुद्वसम्: deserted
• निरुद्वसम्: कर्म-विशेषण (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + उद्वस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ग्राम-विशेषणम्; ‘निरुद्वस’ = uninhabited/deserted

• मृत: dead
• मृत: कर्म-विशेषण (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √मृ)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• मर्त्य: mortals/men
• मर्त्य: सम्बन्ध (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• उद्भवैः: arising from
• उद्भवैः: करण/हेतु (Instrumental/Source nuance)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• व्याप्तम्: pervaded/filled
• व्याप्तम्: कर्म-विशेषण (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + आप् (धातु) → व्याप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ग्राम-विशेषणम्

• अस्थिसंघैः: by heaps of bones
• अस्थिसंघैः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्थि + संघ (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—अस्थ्नां संघाः (heaps/collections of bones)

• समन्ततः: on all sides
• समन्ततः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A silent, roofless village; heaps of human bones scattered; the sage stands small against the desolation, suggesting the world’s fragility.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The scene underscores impermanence and the grave cost of dharma’s collapse, preparing the reader for the restorative power of sacred acts and tīrthas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse establishes the bleak landscape within the chapter’s tīrtha-māhātmya frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.