Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

भयं मा गच्छ कल्याणि त्वामावां त्रातुमागतौ । वने घोरे प्रविष्टासि कथं दुष्टनिषेविते

Transliteration

bhayaṃ mā gaccha kalyāṇi tvāmāvāṃ trātumāgatau | vane ghore praviṣṭāsi kathaṃ duṣṭaniṣevite

Translation

“Jangan takut, wahai yang membawa berkat. Kami berdua datang untuk melindungimu. Bagaimana engkau boleh memasuki rimba yang menggerunkan ini, tempat yang sering didatangi orang jahat?”

Word by Word

• bhayam: fear
• bhayam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; (गच्छ इत्यस्य कर्म/विषय)

• mā: do not
• mā: Pratiṣedha (Prohibition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mā (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (prohibitive particle)

• gaccha: go (i.e., feel/approach)
• gaccha: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• kalyāṇi: O auspicious one
• kalyāṇi: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalyāṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्री/पुं, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• āvām: we two
• āvām: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन

• trātum: to protect
• trātum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: trā (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), ‘to protect’

• āgatau: have come
• āgatau: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā+gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; ‘having come’

• vane: in the forest
• vane: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• ghore: terrible
• ghore: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; (vane इत्यस्य विशेषण)

• praviṣṭāsi: you have entered
• praviṣṭāsi: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra+viś (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; (प्रविष्टा + असि इति संधिः)

• katham: how
• katham: Prakāra (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• duṣṭa-niṣevite: frequented by the wicked
• duṣṭa-niṣevite: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + niṣevita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘by the wicked frequented’), (vane इत्यस्य विशेषण)

Speaker

Two protectors (the pair addressing the maiden; one is later identified as Mādhava/Hari)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The two protectors address the maiden: ‘Do not fear’; behind them looms a dark forest, hinting at wicked presences; their posture is steady and reassuring.

Characters & Entities

• Mādhava/Hari (contextual, identified in following verses)
• Vṛndārikā (contextual)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Fear is dispelled by refuge in dharma and divine/virtuous guardianship—protection is a sacred duty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not explicitly named in this verse; it functions within a tīrtha-māhātmya narrative frame in the Nāgara-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse emphasizes reassurance and moral inquiry.