Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

अहं मर्त्ये परिभ्रांतश्चिरात्तेन समागतः । भूयो यास्यामि तत्रैव कण्डूतिर्महतीस्थिता

Transliteration

ahaṃ martye paribhrāṃtaścirāttena samāgataḥ | bhūyo yāsyāmi tatraiva kaṇḍūtirmahatīsthitā

Translation

నేను మానవలోకంలో చాలాకాలం తిరిగి ఇప్పుడు అతనిని కలిశాను. అయినా మళ్లీ అక్కడికే వెళ్తాను; ఎందుకంటే నాలో మహత్తరమైన కండూతి, వ్యాకులత స్థిరపడింది।

Word by Word

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• martye: in the mortal world
• martye: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: martya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• paribhrāntaḥ: having wandered
• paribhrāntaḥ: Karta (Agent as participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari + bhram (धातु) + kta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: परि-उपसर्गपूर्वक भ्रंम/भ्रम्-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि-भाव (active sense: 'having wandered')

• cirāt: after a long time
• cirāt: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cirāt (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'after a long time')

• tena: by him / with that
• tena: Sahakārī/Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• samāgataḥ: arrived / come together
• samāgataḥ: Kriyā (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + ā + gam (धातु) + kta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: सम्+आ-उपसर्गपूर्वक गम्-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि-भाव ('having come/arrived')

• bhūyaḥ: again
• bhūyaḥ: Prakāra (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhūyaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: 'again/further')

• yāsyāmi: I will go
• yāsyāmi: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, उत्तम-पुरुष (1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Deśa (Place/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'there')

• eva: indeed / just
• eva: Nipāta (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle of emphasis: 'indeed/just')

• kaṇḍūtiḥ: itching / urge to scratch
• kaṇḍūtiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaṇḍūti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• mahatī: great
• mahatī: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• sthitā: remains / is situated
• sthitā: Kriyā (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु) + kta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्था-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि-भाव ('standing/remaining')

Speaker

Nārada (addressing Pitāmaha/Brahmā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puṣkara (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame, typical)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lone ascetic figure (Nārada-like) walking across varied landscapes—villages, courts, battlefields—then turning back again as a swirling ‘itch’ motif encircles the chest; distant glimpse of a serene lake-tīrtha as the alternative path.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Kali
• Martya-loka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sage’s movement reflects urgency: in turbulent times, guidance and dharmic intervention must recur again and again.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this line; it serves as narrative continuation toward Puṣkara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes the speaker’s compelled return amid Kali-yuga conditions.