Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

अधो निपतितं भूमौ रुधिरेण परिप्लुतम् । चरणाभ्यां समाकृष्य दूतो मार्गं समाश्रितः

Transliteration

adho nipatitaṃ bhūmau rudhireṇa pariplutam | caraṇābhyāṃ samākṛṣya dūto mārgaṃ samāśritaḥ

Translation

地面にうつ伏せに倒れ、血にまみれた彼は、使者が道を進むにつれて足を掴んで引きずられた。

Word by Word

• adhaḥ: downwards
• adhaḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Directional)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adhaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवस्थानिर्देशक (adverb: downward/below)

• nipatitam: fallen
• nipatitam: Karma (Object of implied action/description)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nipatita (कृदन्त; √pat (धातु) उपसर्गः ni-)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (PPP)

• bhūmau: on the ground
• bhūmau: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• rudhireṇa: with blood
• rudhireṇa: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudhira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• pariplutam: flooded / drenched
• pariplutam: Karma (Object description)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paripluta (कृदन्त; √plu (धातु) उपसर्गः pari-)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (PPP)

• caraṇābhyām: by (his) two feet
• caraṇābhyām: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), द्विवचन

• samākṛṣya: having dragged
• samākṛṣya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sam-ā-√kṛṣ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• dūtaḥ: the messenger
• dūtaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• mārgam: the road
• mārgam: Karma (Object/goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• samāśritaḥ: resorted to / went onto
• samāśritaḥ: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-āśrita (कृदन्त; √śri (धातु) उपसर्गः sam-ā-)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (PPP)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Puṣpa lies face-down, bloodied; the messenger drags him by the feet along the road; dust rises; bystanders watch in horror.

Characters & Entities

• dūta (messenger)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma leads not only to inner fall but also to outward disgrace; the Purāṇas portray social consequences as part of karmic pedagogy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not stated in this verse; the setting is a town/road within the chapter’s tīrtha-narrative context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.