Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

क्व स मेऽद्य पिता वृद्धो माता च सुतवत्सला । न मामद्य यथापूर्वं स्नेहाच्चायाति सम्मुखी

Transliteration

kva sa me'dya pitā vṛddho mātā ca sutavatsalā | na māmadya yathāpūrvaṃ snehāccāyāti sammukhī

Translation

「今日、私の年老いた父と、息子を愛する母はどこにいるのか。なぜ母はいつものように愛情を込めて私を出迎えてくれないのか。」

Word by Word

• क्व: where
• क्व: Sambandha (Interrogative/Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: where?)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• पिता: father
• पिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वृद्धः: old/aged
• वृद्धः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘पिता’)

• माता: mother
• माता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• सुतवत्सला: affectionate to her son
• सुतवत्सला: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुत + वत्सल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (sute vatsalā = affectionate to her son); विशेषण (qualifying ‘माता’)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (as, in the manner)

• पूर्वम्: formerly/before
• पूर्वम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग/क्रियाविशेषणवत्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनवत् (adverbially: formerly)

• स्नेहात्: out of affection
• स्नेहात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नेह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• आयाति: comes
• आयाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सम्मुखी: facing me/in front
• सम्मुखी: Visheshana (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्मुखी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण/क्रियाविशेषणवत् (facing, in front)

Speaker

Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A son stands searching the āśrama/settlement, calling for his aged father and affectionate mother; the space feels suddenly empty, with signs of disturbance and silence after violence.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• father
• mother

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It reflects the dharmic bond of family and the shock when righteousness is violated—grief becomes a catalyst for restoring order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this verse; it continues the āśrama-centered episode within Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None here; the verse is a lament and inquiry preceding the account of events.