Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

यदि दृष्टिपथात्तुभ्यं क्वचिद्यास्यंति दूरतः । मानवान्पीडयिष्यंति चिरात्प्राप्याधिकं ततः

Transliteration

yadi dṛṣṭipathāttubhyaṃ kvacidyāsyaṃti dūrataḥ | mānavānpīḍayiṣyaṃti cirātprāpyādhikaṃ tataḥ

Translation

അവർ എപ്പോഴെങ്കിലും നിന്റെ ദൃഷ്ടിപഥം വിട്ട് ദൂരേക്ക് പോയാൽ, ദീർഘകാലത്തിന് ശേഷം കൂടുതൽ ബലം നേടി മനുഷ്യരെ പീഡിപ്പിക്കും.

Word by Word

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तवाचक-अव्यय (conditional 'if')

• dṛṣṭi-pathāt: from the range of sight
• dṛṣṭi-pathāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dṛṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + patha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन; समासः—दृष्टेः पथः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• tubhyam: to you
• tubhyam: Sampradana (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी (4th case), एकवचन (dative singular)

• kvacit: somewhere
• kvacit: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (somewhere/sometime)

• yāsyanti: will go
• yāsyanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• dūrataḥ: from far away
• dūrataḥ: Adhikarana (Manner/Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dūratas (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादान/देशवाचक-अव्यय (from afar)

• mānavān: people, humans
• mānavān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन

• pīḍayiṣyanti: will torment
• pīḍayiṣyanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pīḍ (धातु, causative/णिच्)
• Form: णिच्-प्रत्ययान्त धातु (causative stem pīḍay-); लृट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• cirāt: after long
• cirāt: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cirāt (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (after a long time/long)

• prāpya: having obtained
• prāpya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pra-√āp (धातु) → prāpya (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): 'having obtained'

• adhikam: more, excess
• adhikam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (as adverbial object: 'more/excess')

• tataḥ: then/thereafter
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Sequence/Source/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय/तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्; पञ्चमी-एकवचन-रूपं, अव्ययीभूतं (thereafter/therefrom)

Speaker

Śrī Devī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A warning tableau: afflictions/diseases, if they slip beyond the guardian’s sight and travel far, later return with greater strength to torment people; the mood is cautionary and protective.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Devī
• Vyādhi (implied)
• Mānava (people)
• Pṛthivīpati (King)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Protective discipline must be continuous; neglected evils return stronger and harm society.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An ongoing protective watch supported by mantra is implied; no explicit ritual steps are stated.