Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

ततो देवगणाः सर्वे सोद्वेगास्तेन वर्जिताः । नो जानंति च तत्रस्थं कन्दरान्वेषणे रताः ओ

Transliteration

tato devagaṇāḥ sarve sodvegāstena varjitāḥ | no jānaṃti ca tatrasthaṃ kandarānveṣaṇe ratāḥ o

Translation

Maka semua golongan dewa, cemas kerana baginda meninggalkan mereka, tidak mengetahui di mana baginda bersemayam, lalu sibuk mencari di celah-celah gua.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable); अव्यय-प्रकारः: क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb)

• deva-gaṇāḥ: the groups of gods
• deva-gaṇāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन (Plural)

• sarve: all
• sarve: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषणम्

• sa-udvegāḥ: anxious, agitated
• sa-udvegāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + udvega (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (having agitation/anxiety)

• tena: by him/thereby
• tena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन (Singular)

• varjitāḥ: deprived, excluded
• varjitāḥ: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vṛj/√varj (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• naḥ: not
• naḥ: Sambandha (Sentence particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• jānanti: they know
• jānanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jñā (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); परस्मैपदम्; प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person); बहुवचन (Plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• tatra-stham: the one who is there
• tatra-stham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tatra (अव्यय) + stha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; विशेषणम् (standing/being there)

• kandarā-anveṣaṇe: in the search for caves
• kandarā-anveṣaṇe: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kandarā (प्रातिपदिक) + anveṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative); एकवचन

• ratāḥ: engaged, intent
• ratāḥ: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (engaged/attached)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic storyteller)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: cave

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Hosts of devas, uneasy and scattered, comb rugged hillsides and shadowed caves with torches and divine lamps, calling out and peering into cavern mouths.

Characters & Entities

• Devagaṇa (gods)
• Indra
• Meru (implied by prior verse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Leadership bound to dharma sustains cosmic stability; when the ruler falls, even the divine order becomes anxious and unsettled.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse continues the Meru-centered narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.