Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

नाथ स्थानांतरं यावो मृत्युर्नौ निकटोत्र यत् । पुनर्दुष्टे प्रणष्टेस्मिन्नावां स्यावः सुखं प्रिय

Transliteration

nātha sthānāṃtaraṃ yāvo mṛtyurnau nikaṭotra yat | punarduṣṭe praṇaṣṭesminnāvāṃ syāvaḥ sukhaṃ priya

Translation

ஓ நாதா, வேறொரு இடத்திற்குச் செல்லலாம்; இங்கே நமக்கு மரணம் மிக அருகில் உள்ளது. இந்தத் தீய அபாயம் அழிந்தபின், பிரியமே, நாம் மீண்டும் இன்பமாக வாழ்வோம்.

Word by Word

• nātha: O lord / dear (address)
• nātha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nātha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — masculine, vocative, singular

• sthāna-antaram: another place
• sthāna-antaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक) + antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन — neuter, accusative, singular; तत्पुरुष (स्थानस्य अन्तरम्)

• yāvaḥ: let us go
• yāvaḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (या धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), उत्तमपुरुष, द्विवचन — imperative, 1st person, dual; परस्मैपद

• mṛtyuḥ: death
• mṛtyuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛtyu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन — masculine, nominative, singular

• nau: of us two / to us two
• nau: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6/सम्बन्ध) द्विवचन / चतुर्थी (4/सम्प्रदान) द्विवचन — genitive or dative dual (of us two)

• nikaṭaḥ: near
• nikaṭaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nikaṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — masculine, nominative, singular; विशेषण (मृत्यु-विशेषण)

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण — indeclinable, adverb of place

• yat: since/that (which)
• yat: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — neuter, nominative/accusative, singular; सम्बन्धसूचक (यत्…तत्)

• punar: again / then
• punar: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण — indeclinable, adverb (again/then)

• duṣṭe: when/where the wicked one (is)
• duṣṭe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; दुष् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7/अधिकरण), एकवचन — locative singular; विशेषण

• praṇaṣṭe: when/where (he) has perished
• praṇaṣṭe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-naṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; नश् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन — locative singular; विशेषण

• asmin: in this (situation/place)
• asmin: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7/अधिकरण), एकवचन — locative singular

• āvām: we two
• āvām: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), द्विवचन — nominative dual

• syāvaḥ: may we be / would be
• syāvaḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (सम्भावना/आशीः), उत्तमपुरुष, द्विवचन — optative, 1st person, dual; परस्मैपद

• sukham: happily / comfort
• sukham: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन — neuter, accusative, singular; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (सुखम् = सुखेन)

• priya: O dear
• priya: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन — vocative singular (term of endearment)

Speaker

Pārāvatī (female pigeon) to her mate (pārāvata) within Skanda’s narration to Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-kṣetra (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages at Naimiṣāraṇya (typical frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devoted female pigeon urges her mate to leave their threatened nesting place, sensing death nearby; the mood is urgent and tender, with a looming predator implied.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Pārāvatī (pigeon)
• Pārāvata (pigeon)
• Mṛtyu (death)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes protecting life and acting wisely; withdrawing from imminent danger is not cowardice but discernment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśī Khaṇḍa, where ethical instruction is embedded within Kāśī-māhātmya narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse gives practical dharma (nīti) about timely departure from peril.