Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

कदाचिद्वसतस्तस्य जमदग्नेर्महावने । पुत्रेषु कन्दमूलार्थं निर्गतेषु वनाद्बहिः

Transliteration

kadācidvasatastasya jamadagnermahāvane | putreṣu kandamūlārthaṃ nirgateṣu vanādbahiḥ

Translation

ഒരു വേള ജമദഗ്നി മഹാവനത്തിൽ വസിക്കുമ്പോൾ, അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ പുത്രന്മാർ കന്ദമൂലങ്ങളും ഫലങ്ങളും ശേഖരിക്കാൻ വനത്തിൽ നിന്ന് പുറത്തേക്ക് പോയി।

Word by Word

• कदाचित्: once, at some time
• कदाचित्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• वसतः: of (him) dwelling / while dwelling
• वसतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वसत् (वस् धातु, शतृ-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (Present Active Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धे (genitive absolute-like: 'while he was dwelling')

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जमदग्नेः: of Jamadagni
• जमदग्नेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जमदग्नि (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महावने: in the great forest
• महावने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महावन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महत् वनम् = 'great forest')

• पुत्रेषु: when/while the sons (were...)
• पुत्रेषु: Adhikarana (Circumstance/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute sense: 'when the sons...')

• कन्दमूलार्थम्: for (gathering) roots and fruits
• कन्दमूलार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्दमूल + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुषार्थ (कन्दमूलानाम् अर्थम् = 'for the sake of roots and fruits')

• निर्गतेषु: having gone out
• निर्गतेषु: Adhikarana (Circumstance/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्गत (नि + गम् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute: 'when they had gone out')

• वनात्: from the forest
• वनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• बहिः: outside
• बहिः: Desha-adhikarana (Place/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहिः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Jamadagni in a forest hermitage; his sons depart with baskets to gather roots and fruits, sunlight filtering through dense trees, a calm before the storm.

Characters & Entities

• Jamadagni
• his sons

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It highlights the simplicity of āśrama-dharma—sages sustain themselves with forest produce and disciplined living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No new site is named; it continues within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra narrative atmosphere.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes ascetic livelihood (kandamūla) rather than a formal rite.