Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

सहसा सा हता तेन गार्द्ध्रपत्रेण पत्रिणा । दिशो विलोकयामास समंताद्व्यथयार्दिता

Transliteration

sahasā sā hatā tena gārddhrapatreṇa patriṇā | diśo vilokayāmāsa samaṃtādvyathayārditā

Translation

Tiba-tiba dia terluka oleh anak panah berbulu itu, seakan bulu sayap burung hering; disiksa kesakitan, dia memandang sekeliling ke segala arah.

Word by Word

• सहसा: suddenly
• सहसा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• हता: killed/struck down
• हता: Karma (Patient/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तेन: by him/with that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• गार्द्ध्रपत्रेण: with a vulture-feathered (arrow)
• गार्द्ध्रपत्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गार्द्ध्रपत्र (प्रातिपदिक; गार्द्ध्र + पत्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (गार्द्ध्रस्य पत्रम्)

• पत्रिणा: with the feathered one (arrow)
• पत्रिणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• दिशः: the directions
• दिशः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• विलोकयामास: looked around
• विलोकयामास: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + लोक् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• समन्तात्: on all sides
• समन्तात्: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्तात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• व्यथया: by pain
• व्यथया: Hetu/Instrumental cause (निमित्त/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अर्दिता: afflicted
• अर्दिता: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्द् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying सा)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wounded doe, struck by a vulture-feather-fletched arrow, staggers and turns her head in all directions, eyes wide with pain, seeking her fawn and a place of refuge; the forest is tense and silent.

Characters & Entities

• Doe
• Arrow (patrin)
• Directions (diśaḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Suffering reveals the ethical weight of actions and often becomes the doorway to repentance and dharma-centered transformation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same Nāgarakhaṇḍa forest-tīrtha environment; the sanctity is implied as events unfold toward a māhātmya revelation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it remains narrative, typically leading into later expiation, worship, or tīrtha observances.