Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

कस्मात् प्राप्तास्यकाले तु कस्मादुद्भ्रांतमानसा । वाष्पक्लिन्नमुखी कस्माद्वद मातर्द्रुतंमम

Transliteration

kasmāt prāptāsyakāle tu kasmādudbhrāṃtamānasā | vāṣpaklinnamukhī kasmādvada mātardrutaṃmama

Translation

ಈ ಸಮಯದಲ್ಲಿ ನೀನು ಏಕೆ ಬಂದೆ? ನಿನ್ನ ಮನಸ್ಸು ಏಕೆ ಅಶಾಂತವಾಗಿದೆ? ನಿನ್ನ ಮುಖ ಏಕೆ ಕಣ್ಣೀರಿನಿಂದ ತೋಯ್ದಿದೆ? ಅಮ್ಮಾ, ನನಗೆ ಬೇಗ ಹೇಳು.

Word by Word

• कस्मात्: why/from what (cause)
• कस्मात्: Hetu (Cause queried)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थ (from what cause/why)

• प्राप्ता: (you) have come
• प्राप्ता: Kriya (State)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (Past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• काले: at (this) time
• काले: Adhikarana (Location/time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधसूचक (but/indeed)

• कस्मात्: why
• कस्मात्: Hetu
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थ

• उद्भ्रान्त-मानसा: with a disturbed mind
• उद्भ्रान्त-मानसा: Visheshana (of implied tvam/mātā)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद् + भ्रान्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (यस्याः मानसं उद्भ्रान्तं सा = whose mind is agitated)

• वाष्प-क्लिन्न-मुखी: tear-wet-faced
• वाष्प-क्लिन्न-मुखी: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + क्लिन्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + मुखिन्/मुखी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (यस्याः मुखं वाष्पेण क्लिन्नं सा = whose face is wet with tears)

• कस्मात्: why
• कस्मात्: Hetu
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थ

• वद: tell/speak
• वद: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• मातर्: O mother
• मातर्: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• द्रुतम्: quickly
• द्रुतम्: Kriya-visheshana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्रुतम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (quickly)

• मम: to me/of me
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

Speaker

Vatsa (the son/child)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close, intimate framing: the child looks up, speaking rapidly; the mother’s face is tear-wet, eyes strained, body leaning forward as if time is running out.

Characters & Entities

• Nandinī
• son (vatsa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The māhātmya uses intimate dialogue to highlight how dharma is tested amid crisis and emotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter is a Tīrthamāhātmya setting, but this verse itself does not name the tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.