Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

गच्छामः संनिधौ तेषां यदि पार्थिवसतम । अदृष्टमुद्गराघातैर्वयं हन्यामहे ततः

Transliteration

gacchāmaḥ saṃnidhau teṣāṃ yadi pārthivasatama | adṛṣṭamudgarāghātairvayaṃ hanyāmahe tataḥ

Translation

હે પાર્થીવશ્રેષ્ઠ! જો અમે તેમની નજીક જઈએ, તો ત્યાં પણ અદૃશ્ય ગદા-પ્રહારો વડે અમે પીડાઈએ છીએ.

Word by Word

• गच्छामः: we go
• गच्छामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• संनिधौ: near/in the presence
• संनिधौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संनिधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तबोधक-अव्यय

• पार्थिवसतम: O best of kings
• पार्थिवसतम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव + सतमा (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः/उपपद-समासः ‘पार्थिवेषु सतमा’ (superlative)

• अदृष्टम्: unseen
• अदृष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + दृष्ट (कृदन्त; दृश् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘unseen’

• उद्गराघातैः: by blows of a hammer/mallet
• उद्गराघातैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्गर + आघात (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• हन्यामहे: we would be killed / we would perish
• हन्यामहे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमार्थ/हेत्वर्थ-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

Speaker

Māṃsāda

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pretas attempt to approach a group lying with water-filled hands; an invisible force strikes them back; the scene conveys tragic isolation and thwarted compassion.

Characters & Entities

• Māṃsāda
• rājā (king)
• adṛṣṭa-mudgara (unseen mace)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In lower states, even proximity to what seems beneficial may be barred—karmic law restricts access until meritorious causes are created.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified; the verse continues the depiction of preta suffering within the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes an enforced limitation rather than prescribing practice.