Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

वृंदा तयोक्तं श्रुत्वैनं विकृतास्यं व्यलोकयत् । वीक्ष्यतं भयवातेन निर्धूता सिंधुजप्रिया

Transliteration

vṛṃdā tayoktaṃ śrutvainaṃ vikṛtāsyaṃ vyalokayat | vīkṣyataṃ bhayavātena nirdhūtā siṃdhujapriyā

Translation

അവരുടെ വാക്കുകൾ കേട്ട് വൃന്ദാ അവനെ നോക്കി; ഭയത്താൽ അവന്റെ മുഖം വികൃതമായിരുന്നു. അവനെ കണ്ടയുടൻ സിന്ധുജ-നന്ദനന്റെ പ്രിയ ഭയവാതത്തിൽ വിറച്ചു.

Word by Word

• वृंदा: Vṛndā (name)
• वृंदा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृन्दा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तया: by her
• तया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• उक्तम्: said/spoken
• उक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘एतत्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• एनम्: him/this person
• एनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• विकृतास्यम्: with a distorted face/mouth
• विकृतास्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विकृत (प्रातिपदिक) + आस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विकृतम् आस्यम् यस्य/विकृत-आस्यः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘एनम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• व्यलोकयत्: she looked at/observed
• व्यलोकयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लोक् (धातु) उपसर्गः वि + अवलोकय (णिजन्त)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• वीक्ष्य: having seen
• वीक्ष्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वीक्ष् (धातु) + य (ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• भयवातेन: by the wind of fear
• भयवातेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक) + वात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भयस्य वातः), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• निर्धूता: shaken/whirled away
• निर्धूता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धू (धातु) उपसर्गः निर् + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘वृन्दा’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• सिन्धुजप्रिया: beloved of Sindhuja (epithet)
• सिन्धुजप्रिया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिन्धुज (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सिन्धुजस्य प्रिया), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘वृन्दा’ इत्यस्य विशेषण/उपनाम

Speaker

Unspecified narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vṛṃdā, alarmed, stares at a man whose face is distorted by terror; a palpable ‘wind of fear’ ripples garments and hair, foreshadowing flight toward an ascetic grove.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛṃdā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Fear reveals inner states; the narrative uses emotional upheaval to propel ethical and dharmic outcomes within the sacred storyline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it continues the forest episode within the broader tīrtha-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.