Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

तान्दृष्ट्वा भयसंत्रस्तो विशेषेण स भूपतिः । निराशो जीविते कृच्छ्रादिदं वचनमब्रवीत्

Transliteration

tāndṛṣṭvā bhayasaṃtrasto viśeṣeṇa sa bhūpatiḥ | nirāśo jīvite kṛcchrādidaṃ vacanamabravīt

Translation

അവരെ കണ്ടപ്പോൾ രാജാവ് പ്രത്യേകമായി ഭയസന്ത്രസ്തനായി; ആ ദുരിതത്തിൽ ജീവൻപറ്റിയ പ്രത്യാശ വിട്ട് ഇങ്ങനെ പറഞ്ഞു।

Word by Word

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (Acc/2nd), बहुवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभाव (having seen)

• भयसंत्रस्तः: terrified by fear
• भयसंत्रस्तः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक) + संत्रस्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √त्रस्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (Nom/1st), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (भयेन संत्रस्तः)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभाव (instrumental used adverbially); क्रियाविशेषण (especially)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भूपतिः: the king
• भूपतिः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• निराशः: hopeless
• निराशः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निराश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सः)

• जीविते: in (his) life / about life
• जीविते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (Loc/7th), एकवचन

• कृच्छ्रात्: from distress
• कृच्छ्रात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (Abl/5th), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (from distress)

• इदं: this
• इदं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वचनम्: speech/words
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king recoils in terror, body tense, eyes widened; his posture collapses from royal confidence into vulnerability as he prepares to speak to the dreadful beings.

Characters & Entities

• bhūpati (king)
• pretas (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Fear can become a catalyst for dharmic inquiry; in Māhātmyas, sincere questioning in crisis often leads to instruction and redemption.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not stated in this verse; it prepares for the revelatory dialogue that typically connects to a tīrtha’s power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces the king’s speech in response to the frightening vision.