Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

भयं मा गच्छ कल्याणि त्वामावां त्रातुमागतौ । वने घोरे प्रविष्टासि कथं दुष्टनिषेविते

Transliteration

bhayaṃ mā gaccha kalyāṇi tvāmāvāṃ trātumāgatau | vane ghore praviṣṭāsi kathaṃ duṣṭaniṣevite

Translation

「恐れることはない、吉祥なる者よ。われら二人は汝を守るために来た。この恐ろしい森、悪しき者どもの出入りする所へ、いかにして入り込んだのか。」

Word by Word

• bhayam: fear
• bhayam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; (गच्छ इत्यस्य कर्म/विषय)

• mā: do not
• mā: Pratiṣedha (Prohibition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mā (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (prohibitive particle)

• gaccha: go (i.e., feel/approach)
• gaccha: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• kalyāṇi: O auspicious one
• kalyāṇi: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalyāṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्री/पुं, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• āvām: we two
• āvām: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन

• trātum: to protect
• trātum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: trā (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), ‘to protect’

• āgatau: have come
• āgatau: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā+gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; ‘having come’

• vane: in the forest
• vane: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• ghore: terrible
• ghore: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; (vane इत्यस्य विशेषण)

• praviṣṭāsi: you have entered
• praviṣṭāsi: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra+viś (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; (प्रविष्टा + असि इति संधिः)

• katham: how
• katham: Prakāra (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• duṣṭa-niṣevite: frequented by the wicked
• duṣṭa-niṣevite: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + niṣevita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘by the wicked frequented’), (vane इत्यस्य विशेषण)

Speaker

Two protectors (the pair addressing the maiden; one is later identified as Mādhava/Hari)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The two protectors address the maiden: ‘Do not fear’; behind them looms a dark forest, hinting at wicked presences; their posture is steady and reassuring.

Characters & Entities

• Mādhava/Hari (contextual, identified in following verses)
• Vṛndārikā (contextual)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Fear is dispelled by refuge in dharma and divine/virtuous guardianship—protection is a sacred duty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not explicitly named in this verse; it functions within a tīrtha-māhātmya narrative frame in the Nāgara-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse emphasizes reassurance and moral inquiry.