Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

इत्युक्त्वा राजपत्नीं तां ययौ प्राचीं दिशं हरिः । वनं प्रेतपिशाचाढ्यं मंदगत्या नराधिप

Transliteration

ityuktvā rājapatnīṃ tāṃ yayau prācīṃ diśaṃ hariḥ | vanaṃ pretapiśācāḍhyaṃ maṃdagatyā narādhipa

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ പറഞ്ഞ് ആ രാജപത്നിയെ അഭിസംബോധന ചെയ്ത് ഹരി കിഴക്കുദിശയിലേക്കു പോയി. ഹേ നരാധിപ, മന്ദഗതിയിൽ പ്രേത‑പിശാചസങ്കുലമായ വനത്തിൽ പ്രവേശിച്ചു॥

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-शब्दः (quotative particle)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); वच्-धातोः; पूर्वकालिकक्रिया (having said)

• राजपत्नीम्: the king's wife
• राजपत्नीम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजपत्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (राज्ञः पत्नी)

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ययौ: went
• ययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्राचीम्: eastern
• प्राचीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (दिशम्)

• दिशम्: direction
• दिशम्: Karman (Goal/कर्म-गत्यर्थे)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• हरिः: Hari (Vishnu)
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• वनम्: forest
• वनम्: Karman (Goal/कर्म-गत्यर्थे)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• प्रेतपिशाचाढ्यम्: abounding in ghosts and goblins
• प्रेतपिशाचाढ्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रेत + पिशाच + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (वनम्); तत्पुरुषः (प्रेतैः पिशाचैश्च आढ्यम् = filled with ghosts and goblins)

• मन्दगत्या: with slow pace
• मन्दगत्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्द + गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; करण (instrumental of manner); कर्मधारयः (मन्दा गति:)

• नराधिप: O king
• नराधिप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-प्रथमा; एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (नराणाम् अधिपः)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (addressing a king: narādhipa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: narādhipa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Hari departs eastward after speaking to the queen, entering a dark forest thick with spectral beings; the king is addressed as narrator’s audience.

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• preta
• piśāca

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma-driven journeys may pass through fearsome places; steadiness and guidance enable one to proceed without losing spiritual aim.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse describes an eastern forest environment; the specific tīrtha is not named in this excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the focus is on movement toward a charged, liminal landscape often contrasted with tīrtha purity.