Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

ततः प्रोवाच ताः सर्वा गत्वाऽरण्यं द्विजोत्तमाः । चरंतीः स्वेच्छया हृष्टा वांछितानि तृणानि ताः

Transliteration

tataḥ provāca tāḥ sarvā gatvā'raṇyaṃ dvijottamāḥ | caraṃtīḥ svecchayā hṛṣṭā vāṃchitāni tṛṇāni tāḥ

Translation

ಆಮೇಲೆ, ಓ ದ್ವಿಜೋತ್ತಮಾ, ಅರಣ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗಿ ಅವಳು ಅವರನ್ನೆಲ್ಲಾ ಹೇಳಿದಳು—ಸ್ವೇಚ್ಛೆಯಿಂದ ಹರ್ಷದಿಂದ ಸಂಚರಿಸಿ, ಬಯಸಿದ ಹುಲ್ಲನ್ನು ಮೇಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಆ ಹಸುಗಳಿಗೆ.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक adverb): ‘then’

• प्रोवाच: said
• प्रोवाच: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (वच्) (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (Perfect, 3rd person singular): ‘said/spoke’

• ताः: them (f.)
• ताः: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Plural)

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (agreeing with tāḥ): ‘all’

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (गम्) (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive): ‘having gone’

• अरण्यम्: to the forest
• अरण्यम्: Karman (Goal as object/गत्यर्थकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: araṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: the best brāhmaṇas
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• चरन्तीः: wandering
• चरन्तीः: Viśeṣaṇa (Participial qualifier/कृदन्त-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √car (चर्) (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन: ‘wandering/moving about’ (qualifying tāḥ)

• स्वेच्छया: by (their) own will
• स्वेच्छया: Karaṇa (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + icchā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘स्वस्य इच्छा/one’s own will’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (Instrumental: ‘by their own will’)

• हृष्टाः: delighted
• हृष्टाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √hṛṣ (हृष्) (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past participle used adjectivally), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (agreeing with tāḥ): ‘delighted’

• वाञ्छितानि: desired
• वाञ्छितानि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vāñchita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (agreeing with tṛṇāni): ‘desired’

• तृणानि: grasses
• तृणानि: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tṛṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Plural)

• ताः: they (f.)
• ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Plural)

Speaker

Narrator (addressing ‘dvijottama’ within the frame-story)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottama (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nandinī addresses a contented group of cows in a forest pasture; cows graze desired grasses; the speaker-cow’s posture is directive, as if assigning routes.

Characters & Entities

• Nandinī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse sets the scene: even amid comfort and freedom, one must heed wise counsel—purāṇic dharma is alert, not complacent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this shloka; it functions as narrative context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.