Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

ततस्तद्वनमुत्सृज्य जगामान्यन्महावनम् । नानावृक्षगणैर्युक्तं बहुश्वापदसंकुलम्

Transliteration

tatastadvanamutsṛjya jagāmānyanmahāvanam | nānāvṛkṣagaṇairyuktaṃ bahuśvāpadasaṃkulam

Translation

പിന്നീട് അവൻ ആ വനത്തെ വിട്ട് മറ്റൊരു മഹാവനത്തിലേക്ക് പോയി; അത് നാനാവിധ വൃക്ഷസമൂഹങ്ങളാൽ സമൃദ്ധവും അനവധി വന്യമൃഗങ്ങളാൽ നിറഞ്ഞതുമായിരുന്നു।

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, अनन्तरार्थे (thereafter)

• tat: that
• tat: Visheshana (Qualifier of vanam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• vanam: forest
• vanam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• utsṛjya: having left
• utsṛjya: Kriya-viseshana (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud+√sṛj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभावः; ‘उत्सृज्’ = having abandoned/left

• jagāma: went
• jagāma: Kriya (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• anyat: another
• anyat: Visheshana (Qualifier of mahāvanam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• mahāvanam: a great forest
• mahāvanam: Karma (Goal/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः = great forest

• nānāvṛkṣagaṇaiḥ: with groups of various trees
• nānāvṛkṣagaṇaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nānā (अव्यय) + vṛkṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (नानाविधाः वृक्षगणाः)

• yuktam: endowed (with)
• yuktam: Visheshana (Qualifier of mahāvanam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yukta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √yuj)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle) = endowed/connected

• bahuśvāpada-saṃkulam: crowded with many wild beasts
• bahuśvāpada-saṃkulam: Visheshana (Qualifier of mahāvanam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक) + śvā-pada (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃkula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (बहूनि श्वापदानि यस्मिन्/येन संकुलम्) = crowded with many wild beasts

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; specific speaker not explicit in this snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast, untamed forest packed with diverse trees; shadows conceal wild beasts; the traveler exits one forest and enters a darker, larger one.

Characters & Entities

• Nala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wandering through hardship symbolizes the soul’s journey; perseverance prepares one for encounter with sacred space and grace.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The verse is transitional; the chapter’s tīrtha focus culminates in Hāṭakeśvara Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated.