Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

सोऽपि दृष्ट्वा तदात्मानं गतं राक्षसतां द्विजाः । बाष्पपूर्णेक्षणो दीनः पितामहमुपाद्रवत्

Transliteration

so'pi dṛṣṭvā tadātmānaṃ gataṃ rākṣasatāṃ dvijāḥ | bāṣpapūrṇekṣaṇo dīnaḥ pitāmahamupādravat

Translation

Ao ver-se caído no estado de rākṣasa, o brāhmaṇa ficou miserável; com os olhos cheios de lágrimas, correu a Pitāmaha em busca de refúgio.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (pronoun)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक अव्यय (also/even)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having seen’

• तद्: that
• तद्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (आत्मानम्)

• आत्मानम्: self
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• गतम्: gone, become
• गतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) + गत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (आत्मानम्)

• राक्षसताम्: into demonhood
• राक्षसताम्: Gati/Parinama (Result state)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षसता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (गन्तव्य/परिणाम-भाव)

• द्विजाः: O brāhmaṇas / O twice-born
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे अपि प्रयुज्यते (here: address)

• बाष्प: with tears
• बाष्प: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• पूर्ण: filled
• पूर्ण: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: विशेषण, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• ईक्षणः: one whose eyes were full of tears
• ईक्षणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिसमास: बाष्प-पूर्ण-ईक्षण (यस्य ईक्षणं बाष्पपूर्णं सः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दीनः: wretched, distressed
• दीनः: Karta (Subject attribute)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पितामहम्: (his) grandfather
• पितामहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• उपाद्रवत्: ran up to, approached quickly
• उपाद्रवत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + द्रु (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration; speaker not explicit in this snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa, now bearing rākṣasa traits (darkened form, altered visage), looks at himself in horror; tears well as he rushes toward Brahmā’s presence for refuge.

Characters & Entities

• Pitāmaha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When one perceives the painful fruit of wrongdoing, sincere remorse and taking refuge in elders/gurus becomes the first step toward restoration of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is within the Tīrthamāhātmya context of Nāgara Khaṇḍa, Adhyāya 187; the specific tīrtha name is not stated in this single shloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed in this verse; it sets the narrative tone of repentance and appeal for help.