Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

के यूयं विकृताकारा मया दृष्टा न कर्हिचित् । एवंविधा नृलोकेऽत्र भ्रमता प्राग्विभीषणाः

Transliteration

ke yūyaṃ vikṛtākārā mayā dṛṣṭā na karhicit | evaṃvidhā nṛloke'tra bhramatā prāgvibhīṣaṇāḥ

Translation

"ພວກເຈົ້າແມ່ນໃຜ, ຈຶ່ງມີຮູບຮ່າງບິດບ້ຽວແນວນີ້? ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າບໍ່ເຄີຍເຫັນສິ່ງທີ່ມີຊີວິດຄືພວກເຈົ້າມາກ່ອນເລີຍ. ສິ່ງທີ່ໜ້າຢ້ານກົວເຊັ່ນນີ້ ທ່ອງທ່ຽວຢູ່ໃນໂລກມະນຸດໄດ້ແນວໃດ?"

Word by Word

• के: who (are)
• के: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• यूयम्: you (pl.)
• यूयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• विकृताकारा: of distorted form
• विकृताकारा: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विकृत (प्रातिपदिक) + आकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (विकृतः आकारः येषाम्)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (Instr/3rd), एकवचन

• दृष्टाः: seen
• दृष्टाः: Karma (Object as PPP subject/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे (seen)

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

• कर्हिचित्: ever/at any time
• कर्हिचित्: Kala-adhikarana (Time adverbial/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कर्हि + चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (at any time/ever)

• एवंविधाः: such (as this)
• एवंविधाः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एवं (अव्यय) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (एवंविधाः = of such kind)

• नृलोके: in the human world
• नृलोके: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नॄणां लोकः)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Desha-adhikarana (Place adverbial/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

• भ्रमता: by (me) wandering
• भ्रमता: Karta (Agent in participial phrase/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचन; कर्तरि (while wandering)

• प्राक्: before/earlier
• प्राक्: Kala-adhikarana (Time adverbial/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्राक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (formerly/before)

• विभीषणाः: frightful
• विभीषणाः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विभीषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (यूयम्)

Speaker

King Vidūratha (identified in the next verse; deduced here as the questioner)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king addresses the three distorted beings, pointing or gesturing in inquiry; the pretas stand/hover with grotesque features, creating a stark contrast between human order and uncanny disorder.

Characters & Entities

• pretas (addressed)
• nṛloka (human world)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right inquiry begins with confronting the uncanny; asking ‘who are you?’ opens the path to understanding karma, suffering, and remedial dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the verse is part of the approach narrative that leads into tīrtha-centered instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a direct question initiating the teaching exchange.