Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । ततः कतिपयाहस्य गते तस्मिन्महीपतौ । स्वगृहं प्रति दुःखार्ते परिवारसमन्विते

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | tataḥ katipayāhasya gate tasminmahīpatau | svagṛhaṃ prati duḥkhārte parivārasamanvite

Translation

ସୂତ କହିଲେ—କିଛି ଦିନ ଅତିତ ହେଲାପରେ ସେ ରାଜା ଦୁଃଖାର୍ତ୍ତ ହୋଇ, ପରିବାର-ପରିଜନ ସହିତ, ନିଜ ଗୃହ ପ୍ରତି ଯାତ୍ରା କଲେ।

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta (the narrator)
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — nominative singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद — ‘said/spoke’

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-प्रयोगः)
• Form: काल/अनन्तरबोधक-अव्यय (adverb) — ‘then/thereafter’

• कतिपय: some; a few
• कतिपय: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कतिपय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — used with ‘अहस्’ in genitive: ‘of some’

• अहस्य: of a day (time)
• अहस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — genitive singular

• गते: when (it) had passed
• गते: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √गम् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; नपुंसक/पुं-स्त्री समासंगत; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त — locative absolute with ‘कतिपयाहस्य’ (time having passed)

• तस्मिन्: in that; when that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — ‘in/when that’ (locative)

• महीपतौ: in the king
• महीपतौ: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — locative singular

• स्वगृहम्: one’s own house
• स्वगृहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘स्वस्य गृहं’ — accusative of goal

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: Dik-adhikaraṇa (Direction/दिक्)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (preposition-like) — ‘towards’

• दुःखार्ते: in the distressed (woman)
• दुःखार्ते: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + आर्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √ऋ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष ‘दुःखेन आर्ता’ — locative qualifying (in the distressed woman)

• परिवारसमन्विते: accompanied by attendants
• परिवारसमन्विते: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परिवार (प्रातिपदिक) + समन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; सम्+√इ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष ‘परिवारेण समन्विता’ — locative qualifying

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta narrator)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sorrowful king departs a sacred region with attendants; dust road, lowered royal parasol, subdued colors; the landscape recedes as he turns toward his capital/home.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• king (mahīpati)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even rulers are subject to sorrow; Purāṇic narratives often begin transformation with a turn toward dharma after suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

This verse functions as narrative transition; the specific tīrtha is not named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it sets the scene for ensuing events.