Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

अथ तेन क्वचिद्दृष्टं पदं तस्य पशोः स्फुटम् । अटव्यां भ्रममाणेन परिज्ञातं च कृत्स्नशः

Transliteration

atha tena kvaciddṛṣṭaṃ padaṃ tasya paśoḥ sphuṭam | aṭavyāṃ bhramamāṇena parijñātaṃ ca kṛtsnaśaḥ

Translation

ତାପରେ ସେ କେଉଁଠି ନା କେଉଁଠି ସେହି ପଶୁର ସ୍ପଷ୍ଟ ପଦଚିହ୍ନ ଦେଖିଲା; ଅଟବୀରେ ଭ୍ରମଣ କରି କରି ସେ ଚିହ୍ନକୁ ସମ୍ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଭାବେ ଚିହ୍ନିଲା।

Word by Word

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Sequence/अनन्तर)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर/आरम्भवाचक-अव्यय (then/now)

• tena: by him
• tena: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• kvacit: somewhere
• kvacit: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (somewhere)

• dṛṣṭam: seen
• dṛṣṭam: Kriya (Perception result/क्रियाफल)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √dṛś (दृश् धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (padaṃ) seen

• padam: a footprint/track
• padam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (पद प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here object of ‘seen’

• tasya: of that
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन

• paśoḥ: of the animal
• paśoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paśu (पशु प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• sphuṭam: clearly
• sphuṭam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sphuṭa (स्फुट प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (of padam)

• aṭavyām: in the forest
• aṭavyām: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṭavī (अटवी प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• bhramamāṇena: while wandering
• bhramamāṇena: Karana (Accompanying action/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √bhram (भ्रम् धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; ‘while wandering’

• parijñātam: fully recognized
• parijñātam: Kriya (Cognition result/क्रियाफल)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pari-√jñā (ज्ञा धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (it) was fully ascertained

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• kṛtsnaśaḥ: completely
• kṛtsnaśaḥ: Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kṛtsnaśaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/सम्पूर्णतावाचक-अव्यय (entirely)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced; narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cāmatkārapura environs (trail-marker locus)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-sattama (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close view of clear hoofprints on soft earth; the cowherd crouches, pointing or leaning in, then looks ahead as the trail becomes intelligible.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Clarity arises through sustained effort; in māhātmya narratives, the ‘trail’ often leads to a sanctified place and transformation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it continues the approach toward the tīrtha setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.