Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

कथं मयागतमिह गौतमीतीरवासिना । इति चिंताकुलः सोऽयं धनुष्कोटिनिवासिनम्

Transliteration

kathaṃ mayāgatamiha gautamītīravāsinā | iti ciṃtākulaḥ so'yaṃ dhanuṣkoṭinivāsinam

Translation

“เราผู้อาศัยอยู่ริมฝั่งคงคา-คौตมี เหตุใดจึงมาถึงที่นี่ได้?”—ด้วยความกังวลสับสน เขาจึงเข้าไปหาชาวธนุษโกฏิผู้หนึ่งเพื่อไต่ถาม

Word by Word

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आगतम्: (I) have come
• आगतम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (predicate/absolutive-like sense: ‘has come’)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• गौतमीतीरवासिना: by (me), a dweller on the bank of the Gautamī
• गौतमीतीरवासिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौतमी (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर (प्रातिपदिक) + वासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—गौतमीतीरे वासी (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/वाक्य-समाप्ति-निपात (quotative particle)

• चिन्ताकुलः: agitated with worry
• चिन्ताकुलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चिन्ता (प्रातिपदिक) + आकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सः/अयम्); समासः—चिन्तया आकुलः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

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

• अयम्: this (man)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• धनुष्कोटिनिवासिनम्: a resident of Dhanuṣkoṭi
• धनुष्कोटिनिवासिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक) + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + निवासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—धनुष्कोटौ निवासी (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Deductive (Setukhaṇḍa narration; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa addressing sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhanuṣkoṭi

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The brāhmaṇa, still damp from the sea, approaches a local Dhanuṣkoṭi resident—perhaps a fisherman-priest or coastal dweller—gesturing toward the shore as he asks how he arrived so far from the Gautamī.

Characters & Entities

• Gautamī (Godāvarī)
• Dhanuṣkoṭi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage unfolds by unseen providence; the seeker learns the sanctity of place through inquiry and guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Dhanuṣkoṭi (in the Setu-region), contrasted with the Gautamī riverbank homeland of the protagonist.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse emphasizes seeking instruction from local knowers of the tīrtha (kṣetra-vāsin).