Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

यदि यूयं न चान्यत्र प्रयास्यथ मुनीश्वराः । पलायनपरा भूत्वा तद्गत्वा निजमंदिरम्

Transliteration

yadi yūyaṃ na cānyatra prayāsyatha munīśvarāḥ | palāyanaparā bhūtvā tadgatvā nijamaṃdiram

Translation

“Wahai para muni yang mulia, jika kalian tidak pergi ke tempat lain, maka dengan niat melarikan diri aku akan pergi dari sini ke rumahku sendiri.”

Word by Word

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक अव्यय (conditional particle ‘if’)

• yūyam: you (all)
• yūyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction ‘and’)

• anyatra: elsewhere
• anyatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb ‘elsewhere’)

• prayāsyatha: you will go forth
• prayāsyatha: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + yā (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• munīśvarāḥ: O lords of sages
• munīśvarāḥ: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative sense/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘मुनीनां ईश्वराः’ (genitive-tatpuruṣa)

• palāyanaparāḥ: intent on fleeing
• palāyanaparāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: palāyana (प्रातिपदिक) + para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘पलायने पराः’ (locative-tatpuruṣa sense: intent on fleeing)

• bhūtvā: having become
• bhūtvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having become’

• tat: then/there
• tat: Kāla/Deśa (Time/Place adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् उपपद (adverbial ‘then/there’)

• gatvā: having gone
• gatvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having gone’

• nija: one's own
• nija: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• mandiram: house/dwelling
• mandiram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mandira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Caurā (the thief) (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The thief edges backward, glancing toward his home path; sages remain still, embodying unwavering dharma; the contrast between flight and steadiness is central.

Characters & Entities

• Munīśvaras (great sages)
• Caurā (thief)
• Nija-maṃdira (home)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A turning point in dharma often begins with a concrete decision: to verify, confess, and change one’s course.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific location is stated in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates the thief’s intention to go home and seek clarification.