Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

यावच्चतुष्पथं नीतो यत्र संचरते जनः । हाहाकारो महानासीत्तस्मिन्पुरवरे तदा

Transliteration

yāvaccatuṣpathaṃ nīto yatra saṃcarate janaḥ | hāhākāro mahānāsīttasminpuravare tadā

Translation

人々が行き交う四つ辻まで連れて行かれると、その優れた都にはその時、大いなる叫喚が起こった。

Word by Word

• yāvat: until
• yāvat: Adhikaraṇa (Limit)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधिपर्यन्तार्थक (until/as far as)

• catuṣpatham: the crossroads
• catuṣpatham: Karma (Goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catuṣpatha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• nītaḥ: was led
• nītaḥ: Kriyā (Passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nīta (कृदन्त; √nī (धातु))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (PPP)

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक-सम्बन्ध (relative adverb: where)

• saṃcarate: moves about
• saṃcarate: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √car (धातु) उपसर्गः sam-
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• janaḥ: people / the crowd
• janaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• hāhākāraḥ: a cry of lamentation
• hāhākāraḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hāhākāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• mahān: great
• mahān: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• āsīt: was
• āsīt: Kriyā (Copula)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• tasmin: in that
• tasmin: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• puravare: in that excellent city
• puravare: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puravara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• tadā: then
• tadā: Adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (then/at that time)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the bustling crossroads of a splendid city, the dragged, bloodied man arrives; merchants, pilgrims, and townsfolk erupt in a loud outcry, forming a ring of shocked faces.

Characters & Entities

• jana (people)
• puravara (city)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Private wrongdoing can become public suffering; society reacts strongly when dharma is visibly violated.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse references a ‘best of cities’ and a crossroads but does not identify a named tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.