Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

ततो निर्वेदमापन्नो भेषजैः क्लेशितश्चिरम् । क्षारैश्चाम्लैः कषायैश्च कटुकैरथ तिक्तकैः

Transliteration

tato nirvedamāpanno bheṣajaiḥ kleśitaściram | kṣāraiścāmlaiḥ kaṣāyaiśca kaṭukairatha tiktakaiḥ

Translation

ਫਿਰ ਉਹ ਗਹਿਰੇ ਵੈਰਾਗ ਵਿੱਚ ਡੁੱਬ ਗਿਆ—ਲੰਮੇ ਸਮੇਂ ਤੱਕ ਦਵਾਈਆਂ ਨਾਲ ਪੀੜਤ ਰਹਿਆ; ਖਾਰੀਆਂ, ਖੱਟੀਆਂ, ਕਸੈਲੀਆਂ, ਤਿੱਖੀਆਂ ਅਤੇ ਕੌੜੀਆਂ ਔਖਧੀਆਂ ਨਾਲ ਵੀ।

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — 'then'

• निर्वेदम्: despondency/disgust
• निर्वेदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे नपुंसकवत्), द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; 'disgust/despondency'

• आपन्नः: having fallen into/attained
• आपन्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु) → आपन्न (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि-प्रयोगे 'having attained/entered'

• भेषजैः: by medicines
• भेषजैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भेषज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; 'by medicines'

• क्लेशितः: tormented
• क्लेशितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्लिश् (धातु) → क्लेशित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'tormented'

• चिरम्: for a long time
• चिरम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिरम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — 'for a long time'

• क्षारैः: with alkalis
• क्षारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; 'with alkalis'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — conjunction 'and'

• अम्लैः: with sour substances
• अम्लैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; 'with sour (drugs)'

• कषायैः: with astringents
• कषायैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कषाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; 'with astringents'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक)

• कटुकैः: with pungent substances
• कटुकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कटुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; 'with pungent (drugs)'

• अथ: then/also
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तर/प्रसङ्गबोधक) — 'then/and also'

• तिक्तकैः: with bitter substances
• तिक्तकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिक्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; 'with bitter (drugs)'

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A suffering pilgrim, weary from harsh medicines—alkaline, sour, astringent, pungent, bitter—sits in contemplation, turning away from jars and powders toward the idea of a sacred journey.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly measures can exhaust the seeker; disillusionment becomes the doorway to taking refuge in sacred worship and tīrtha-centered devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya stream; the immediate passage leads toward Muṇḍīrasvāmin and Sūrya worship in that sacred setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed here; it describes the failure/strain of medicinal treatments that motivates a turn to devotional observance.