Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

भ्रममाणोऽसमे स्थाने व्रजमानोऽन्यगोकुले । अकार्येषु च संसक्तो निवार्यः सर्वदाऽदरात्

Transliteration

bhramamāṇo'same sthāne vrajamāno'nyagokule | akāryeṣu ca saṃsakto nivāryaḥ sarvadā'darāt

Translation

അവൻ അസമമായ സ്ഥലങ്ങളിൽ അലഞ്ഞുതിരിയുകയോ, മറ്റൊരു ഗോക്കുലത്തിലേക്ക് വഴിതെറ്റിപ്പോകുകയോ, അയോഗ്യകർമ്മങ്ങളിൽ ആസക്തനാകുകയോ ചെയ്താൽ—അവനെ എപ്പോഴും ജാഗ്രതയോടും ആദരത്തോടും കൂടി തടയണം।

Word by Word

• भ्रममाणः: wandering
• भ्रममाणः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः

• असमे: uneven
• असमे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; 'स्थाने' इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• स्थाने: in a place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• व्रजमानः: going
• व्रजमानः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्रज् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः

• अन्यगोकुले: in another cowherd-settlement
• अन्यगोकुले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक) + गोकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अन्यस्य गोकुलम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• अकार्येषु: in improper acts
• अकार्येषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• संसक्तः: attached/entangled
• संसक्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + सञ्ज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः

• निवार्यः: should be restrained
• निवार्यः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + वṛ (धातु) + ण्यत् (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: ण्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory: 'to be restrained'); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Kala (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• आदरात्: out of respect/carefully
• आदरात्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेतौ/कारणे (ablative of cause)

Speaker

Nandinī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cowherd community watches a cow (Nandinī) and calf; elders gesture to restrain her as she moves toward uneven ground and чуж herd; the mood is protective and admonitory.

Characters & Entities

• Nandinī
• child (putraka/bālaka)
• gokula (cowherd/community)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is sustained by vigilant guidance—preventing harmful paths and cultivating proper conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No explicit site is mentioned in this verse; it functions as ethical counsel within the Mahātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it prescribes attentive restraint and guidance (nivāraṇa) as a duty.