Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

स्वयं गत्वा तमुद्देशं सामात्यः ससुहृज्जनः । लक्ष्मणं पतितं दृष्ट्वा करुणं पर्यदेवयत्

Transliteration

svayaṃ gatvā tamuddeśaṃ sāmātyaḥ sasuhṛjjanaḥ | lakṣmaṇaṃ patitaṃ dṛṣṭvā karuṇaṃ paryadevayat

Translation

彼はみずからその場所へ赴き、家臣と友人たちを伴った。そこで倒れているラクシュマナを見て、哀れみをもって慟哭した。

Word by Word

• svayam: personally
• svayam: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; आत्मनः (oneself) अर्थे

• gatvā: having gone
• gatvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having gone)

• tam: that
• tam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; उद्देशम् इति विशेषणम्

• uddeśam: place/spot
• uddeśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uddeśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• sa-amātyaḥ: with ministers
• sa-amātyaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय) + amātya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः—स + अमात्य (with ministers)

• sa-suhṛt-janaḥ: with his friends/people
• sa-suhṛt-janaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय) + suhṛt (प्रातिपदिक) + jana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः—स + सुहृज्जन (with friends/companions)

• lakṣmaṇam: Lakṣmaṇa
• lakṣmaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• patitam: fallen
• patitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: patita (कृदन्त; √pat धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, लक्ष्मणम् इति विशेषणम्

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having seen)

• karuṇam: piteously
• karuṇam: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: karuṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् नपुंसक-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative)

• paryadevayat: lamented
• paryadevayat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-√dev (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarayū-taṭa uddeśa (memorial spot)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma walks with ministers and friends to the precise riverbank spot; they gather around Lakṣmaṇa’s fallen form; Rāma’s compassionate grief is central, with the entourage forming a semicircle against the flowing Sarayū.

Characters & Entities

• Rāghava (Rāma) (implied)
• Lakṣmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Leadership in dharma includes compassionate presence—personally witnessing reality and honoring relationships, even amid inevitable loss.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ‘spot’ is the sacred Sarayū riverbank location where Lakṣmaṇa’s departure occurred.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it records going to the place and lamenting, a narrative prelude to funeral or commemorative rites (not stated here).