Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

पुनरेव ततो गत्वा प्रजाः सृष्ट्वा चतुर्विधाः । नाभिनालेन निर्गत्य विस्मृतेनांतरात्मना

Transliteration

punareva tato gatvā prajāḥ sṛṣṭvā caturvidhāḥ | nābhinālena nirgatya vismṛtenāṃtarātmanā

Translation

ಮತ್ತೆ ನಾನು ಮುಂದಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗಿ ನಾಲ್ಕು ವಿಧದ ಪ್ರಜைகளை ಸೃಷ್ಟಿಸಿದೆ. ನಾಭಿನಾಳದಿಂದ ಹೊರಬಂದಾಗ ನನ್ನ ಅಂತರಾತ್ಮ ಮರೆವಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಳುಗಿತು.

Word by Word

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरावृत्तिवाचक)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण)

• ततः: then; from there
• ततः: Apadana/Time (Source/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अपादान/क्रमवाचक) — “from there/then”

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive) — “having gone”

• प्रजाः: creatures; beings
• प्रजाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन — Accusative plural

• सृष्ट्वा: having created
• सृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive) — “having created”

• चतुर्विधाः: fourfold
• चतुर्विधाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — Nominative plural; तत्पुरुष-समास (चतुर्विधाः = चारः प्रकाराः)

• नाभिनालेन: by the navel-stalk
• नाभिनालेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाभि (प्रातिपदिक) + नाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (नाल), तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — Instrumental singular; तत्पुरुष-समास (नाभेः नालः)

• निर्गत्य: having emerged
• निर्गत्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive) — “having come out”

• विस्मृतेन: with (my) memory lost
• विस्मृतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि- स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP) पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — Instrumental singular: “with/by (one) forgotten”

• अन्तरात्मना: with the inner self
• अन्तरात्मना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर् (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — Instrumental singular; कर्मधारय-समास (अन्तरः आत्मा)

Speaker

Brahmā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A creator-deity emerges via a luminous nābhi-nāla (navel-stalk), surrounded by the fourfold beings implied by caturvidhāḥ prajāḥ; the face shows a sudden veil of forgetfulness, with the cosmos still forming around him.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Creation and duty require inner clarity; forgetfulness obscures purpose even amid great accomplishments.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.