Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

पप्रच्छ किमिदं सर्वं व्याकुलत्वमुपागतम् । आश्रमास्पदमाभीरैः पुलिन्दैश्च समावृतम्

Transliteration

papraccha kimidaṃ sarvaṃ vyākulatvamupāgatam | āśramāspadamābhīraiḥ pulindaiśca samāvṛtam

Translation

அவன் கேட்டான்—“இது எல்லாம் என்ன? இந்தக் கலக்கம் எவ்வாறு ஏற்பட்டது? ஆசிரமப் பகுதி ஆபீரர்களாலும் புலிந்தர்களாலும் ஏன் சூழப்பட்டுள்ளது?”

Word by Word

• पप्रच्छ: asked
• पप्रच्छ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √prach प्रछ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — परस्मैपद; ‘asked’

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Interrogative object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — प्रश्नवाचक (what?)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — ‘this’

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma (Qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — विशेषण ‘all/entire’

• व्याकुलत्वम्: disturbance/agitation
• व्याकुलत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyākulatva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — ‘agitation/confusion’

• उपागतम्: that has occurred
• उपागतम्: Karma (Predicate qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: upāgata (कृदन्त; √gam गम् (धातु) + उप + आ + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘प्राप्तम्’ (has come/occurred)

• आश्रमास्पदम्: the hermitage abode
• आश्रमास्पदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āśrama + āspada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — तत्पुरुष: ‘आश्रमस्य आस्पदम्’ (the hermitage-site/abode)

• आभीरैः: by Ābhīras
• आभीरैः: Karana (Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ābhīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन — करण (by Ābhīras)

• पुलिन्दैः: by Pulindas
• पुलिन्दैः: Karana (Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pulinda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन — करण (by Pulindas)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — conjunction ‘and’

• समावृतम्: completely surrounded
• समावृतम्: Karma (Qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samāvṛta (कृदन्त; √vṛ वृ (धातु) + सम् + आ + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘समन्तात् आवृतम्’ (completely surrounded)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma, amid the ruined hermitage, questions the situation; Ābhīras and Pulindas stand around in groups; ascetics appear distressed in the background; the composition centers on the act of inquiry and moral authority.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Ābhīras
• Pulindas
• āśrama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred spaces require protection and order; dharma begins with safeguarding the precincts where tapas and worship are maintained.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it describes an āśrama setting within a tīrtha-mahātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an inquiry that frames the ensuing account and its religious implications.