Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

ततो जगाम तं देशं यत्र भार्या शिलामयी । सा स्थिता तापसीवृन्दैः सर्वतोऽपि समन्विता

Transliteration

tato jagāma taṃ deśaṃ yatra bhāryā śilāmayī | sā sthitā tāpasīvṛndaiḥ sarvato'pi samanvitā

Translation

ਫਿਰ ਉਹ ਉਸ ਦੇਸ਼ ਨੂੰ ਗਿਆ ਜਿੱਥੇ ਉਸ ਦੀ ਪਤਨੀ ਪੱਥਰ-ਰੂਪ ਹੋ ਕੇ ਖੜੀ ਸੀ; ਉਹ ਤਪਸਵਿਨੀਆਂ ਦੇ ਸਮੂਹਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਚੌਹਾਂ ਪਾਸਿਆਂ ਤੋਂ ਘਿਰੀ ਹੋਈ ਸੀ।

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (thereafter)

• जगाम: went
• जगाम: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); परस्मैपदम्

• तम्: that
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• देशम्: place, region
• देशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध/देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: ‘where’)

• भार्या: wife
• भार्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• शिलामयी: made of stone
• शिलामयी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिला + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन (singular); मयट्-प्रत्ययान्त (made of), तत्पुरुषार्थः ‘शिलामयी’

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• स्थिताः: stood, remained
• स्थिताः: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle) used predicatively; स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• तापसीवृन्दैः: with groups of female ascetics
• तापसीवृन्दैः: Sahakari (Association/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तापसी + वृन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया (instrumental), बहुवचन (plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (tāpasīnām vṛndaiḥ)

• सर्वतः: on all sides
• सर्वतः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः (अव्यय)
• Form: दिग्वाचक-अव्यय (directional adverb: ‘from all sides’)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: ‘also/even’)

• समन्विता: accompanied, surrounded
• समन्विता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + अनु + इ (धातु) → समन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Narrator within the Tīrthamāhātmya (exact speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: sthāna (localized sacred spot)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages / contextual audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king arrives at a secluded sacred spot: his wife stands as a stone figure, serene yet tragic; around her, ascetic women form a protective circle, holding rosaries and waterpots.

Characters & Entities

• Stone-formed wife
• Tāpasīs (female ascetics)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Atonement is pursued through seeking the afflicted directly, in a sacred/ascetic environment, with perseverance and humility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse points to a specific locale tied to the curse episode, but does not name the tīrtha explicitly in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse describes reaching the place of the curse’s manifestation.