Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

ततश्चावश्यकं कर्त्तुं नैरृतीं दिशमाव्रजेत् । ग्रामाद्धनुःशतं गच्छेन्नगराच्च चतुर्गुण म्

Transliteration

tataścāvaśyakaṃ karttuṃ nairṛtīṃ diśamāvrajet | grāmāddhanuḥśataṃ gacchennagarācca caturguṇa m

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം ആവശ്യമായ വിസർജനക്രിയയ്ക്കായി നൈഋതി (തെക്ക്-പടിഞ്ഞാറ്) ദിശയിലേക്കു പോകണം; ഗ്രാമത്തിൽ നിന്ന് നൂറു ധനുസ്സുദൂരം, നഗരത്തിൽ നിന്ന് അതിന്റെ നാലിരട്ടി ദൂരം പോകണം।

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

• आवश्यकम्: necessary (act)
• आवश्यकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आवश्यक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; ‘कर्तुं’ इत्यस्य कर्मरूपेण (आवश्यकं कर्तुम्)

• कर्तुम्: to do
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), अर्थः ‘करितुं’

• नैरृतीम्: southwestern
• नैरृतीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नैरृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (दिशम्)

• दिशम्: direction
• दिशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• आव्रजेत्: should go toward
• आव्रजेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• ग्रामात्: from the village
• ग्रामात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• धनुः-शतम्: a hundred bow-lengths
• धनुः-शतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—द्विगुः (शतं धनुषां प्रमाणम्)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी; पाठे ‘गच्छेन्’ (नकारागमः छन्दसि)

• नगरात्: from the city
• नगरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

• चतुर्गुणम्: fourfold (i.e., four times as much)
• चतुर्गुणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (धनुःशतम् इत्यस्य—‘चतुर्गुणं’ = fourfold)

Speaker

Deductive: a Dharma-instructor voice within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa (narrative speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: vipra (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A traveler leaves the edge of a village, walking toward the south-west into a scrubby grove, indicating measured distance markers; the village and city walls are shown far behind to emphasize separation.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External cleanliness and consideration for community space are integral parts of dharma and ritual purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse concerns practical purity rules rather than a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Go to the south-west for evacuation, keeping prescribed distances: 100 bow-lengths from a village and four times that from a city.