Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

अथासौ सत्वरं गत्वा व्योममार्गेण तं मुनिम् । पप्रच्छ प्रणिपत्योच्चैर्नैमिषारण्यमाश्रितम्

Transliteration

athāsau satvaraṃ gatvā vyomamārgeṇa taṃ munim | papraccha praṇipatyoccairnaimiṣāraṇyamāśritam

Translation

അപ്പോൾ അവൻ വേഗത്തിൽ ആകാശമാർഗ്ഗം വഴി ചെന്നു നൈമിഷാരണ്യത്തിൽ ആശ്രയിച്ചിരുന്ന ആ മുനിയെ സമീപിച്ചു। പ്രണാമം ചെയ്ത് ഉച്ചസ്വരത്തിൽ ചോദിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक (then/now)

• असौ: he (that person)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस्-प्रातिपदिक (सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्गः; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्

• सत्वरम्: quickly
• सत्वरम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सत्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriya (Non-finite verb/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having gone)

• व्योममार्गेण: by the sky-path
• व्योममार्गेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्योम + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गः; तृतीया (3rd), एकवचनम्; साधन/मार्गवाचक (by the route)

• तम्: that
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्गः; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचनम्

• मुनिम्: sage
• मुनिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गः; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचनम्

• पप्रच्छ: asked
• पप्रच्छ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person); एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• प्रणिपत्य: having prostrated
• प्रणिपत्य: Kriya (Non-finite verb/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नि-पत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive); नमस्कृत्य (having bowed down)

• उच्चैः: aloud
• उच्चैः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उच्चैः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (loudly)

• नैमिषारण्यम्: Naimiṣa forest
• नैमिषारण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैमिष + अरण्य (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचनम्

• आश्रितम्: resorted to / inhabited
• आश्रितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्गः; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (नैमिषारण्यम्)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Naimiṣāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indradyumna travels through the sky-path and arrives at a forest hermitage; he bows at the sage’s feet amid sacrificial implements and quiet ascetics.

Characters & Entities

• Indradyumna
• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Naimiṣāraṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Knowledge is gained through humility—approaching the wise with prostration and sincere questioning.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Naimiṣāraṇya is presented as the sage’s abode, reinforcing its status as a sanctified landscape of revelation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Respectful prostration (praṇipāta) and inquiry (praśna) are modeled as devotional-ethical conduct.