Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

अन्ये मंत्रविदो विप्राः प्रयतंते समंततः । मंदं धावंति संत्रस्ता गृहीत्वौषधयः परे

Transliteration

anye maṃtravido viprāḥ prayataṃte samaṃtataḥ | maṃdaṃ dhāvaṃti saṃtrastā gṛhītvauṣadhayaḥ pare

Translation

ചില മന്ത്രവിദ്യയിൽ നിപുണരായ വിപ്രർ എല്ലാടത്തും പരിശ്രമിച്ചു; മറ്റുചിലർ ഭീതിയോടെ ഔഷധികൾ കൈയിൽ പിടിച്ച് മന്ദഗതിയിൽ ഓടി।

Word by Word

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• मन्त्रविदः: knowers of mantras
• मन्त्रविदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + विद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (मन्त्रं वेत्ति इति); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• विप्राः: Brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• प्रयतन्ते: strive/endeavor
• प्रयतन्ते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√यत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• समन्ततः: on all sides
• समन्ततः: Desha (Spatial/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित-अव्यय)
• Form: तद्धित-अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb): ‘on all sides’

• मन्दम्: slowly
• मन्दम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-द्वितीया-एकवचन (adverbial accusative): ‘slowly’

• धावन्ति: run
• धावन्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √धाव् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• सन्त्रस्ताः: frightened
• सन्त्रस्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-√त्रस् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (परे)

• गृहीत्वा: having taken
• गृहीत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ग्रह् (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): ‘having taken’

• औषधयः: medicinal herbs
• औषधयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: औषधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• परे: others
• परे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘others’

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Nāgara-khaṇḍa; exact speaker not stated in this snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas with raised hands chanting, forming protective circles; others carrying bundles of herbs and water pots; frightened people gathering behind them; serpents recoiling at the edge.

Characters & Entities

• Vipra (brāhmaṇas)
• Mantra
• Auṣadhi (herbs/medicine)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In times of danger, dharmic society turns to both sacred means (mantra) and practical remedies (auṣadhi), showing a holistic approach to protection.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The broader chapter is a tīrtha-māhātmya in Nāgara-khaṇḍa; this verse does not name the site explicitly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mantra-application is implied through “mantra-vido viprāḥ,” but no specific mantra, japa count, or formal rite is detailed in this line.