Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

ततो दग्धावुभौ चापि तिष्ठतश्चर्म वेष्टितौ । दृश्येतेऽद्यापि मूर्त्तौ तौ घटितायां धरातले

Transliteration

tato dagdhāvubhau cāpi tiṣṭhataścarma veṣṭitau | dṛśyete'dyāpi mūrttau tau ghaṭitāyāṃ dharātale

Translation

അപ്പോൾ തോലുകൊണ്ട് പൊതിയപ്പെട്ട അവർ രണ്ടുപേരും നിൽക്കുമ്പോൾ തന്നെ വെന്തുപോയി. ഇന്നും ആ രണ്ട് രൂപങ്ങൾ ഭൂമിയിൽ സ്ഥിതിചെയ്യുന്നത് കാണാം.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse/sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/कारणवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: then/from that)

• दग्धौ: burnt
• दग्धौ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दग्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; दह् धातोः क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• उभौ: both
• उभौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (also/even)

• तिष्ठतः: standing
• तिष्ठतः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• चर्म: skin; hide
• चर्म: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (वेष्टितौ इत्यस्य साधन/उपादानार्थे)

• वेष्टितौ: wrapped
• वेष्टितौ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेष्टित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वेष्ट् धातोः क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• दृश्येते: are seen
• दृश्येते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन, आत्मनेपद

• अद्यापि: even today; still
• अद्यापि: Kāla-Adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय) + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययसमूह (even today/still)

• मूर्त्तौ: two images/forms
• मूर्त्तौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition to मूर्त्तौ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• घटितायाम्: formed; made
• घटितायाम्: Adhikaraṇa (Locus qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घटित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; घट्/घट् धातोः क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; (धरातले) विशेषण

• धरातले: on the surface of the earth
• धरातले: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरा (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धरायाः तलम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

Speaker

Nārada (deduced from surrounding dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two figures, wrapped in skin, stand and are simultaneously burned; the aftermath shows two fixed, statue-like forms on the ground, still visible to pilgrims.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage landscapes preserve moral memory—visible signs in a tīrtha remind devotees of dharma and the consequences of offense.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A tangible site-marker is implied (“seen even today”), but the tīrtha’s proper name is not included in this excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse emphasizes sacred geography through enduring signs.