Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

ततः कालेन दीर्घेण जराग्रस्तस्य मे बलात् । हृतं राज्यं स्वपुत्रेण मां निर्वास्य विगर्हितम्

Transliteration

tataḥ kālena dīrgheṇa jarāgrastasya me balāt | hṛtaṃ rājyaṃ svaputreṇa māṃ nirvāsya vigarhitam

Translation

ต่อมาเมื่อกาลเวลายาวนานผ่านไป ครั้นข้าพเจ้าถูกชราครอบงำจนสิ้นกำลัง บุตรของข้าพเจ้าเองก็ยึดราชอาณาจักรไปด้วยกำลัง และขับไล่ข้าพเจ้าออกไปอย่างน่าอับอาย ถูกติฉินนินทา

Word by Word

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Kālādhiकरण (Temporal sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अनन्तरार्थे (then/thereafter)

• कालेन: by time; with time
• कालेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-एकवचन

• दीर्घेण: long
• दीर्घेण: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीर्घ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, तृतीया-एकवचन; ‘कालेन’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• जराग्रस्तस्य: of me, afflicted by old age
• जराग्रस्तस्य: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जराग्रस्त = जरा + ग्रस्त (कृदन्त; √ग्रस् + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-एकवचन; ‘जरया ग्रस्तः’ इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुषार्थः; ‘मे’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• मे: my; of me
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचन (enclitic)

• बलात्: by force
• बलात्: Hetu (Cause/Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपं; अव्ययीभावेन ‘बलात्’ = ‘बलपूर्वकं’

• हृतम्: was taken away
• हृतम्: Kriyā (Passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √हृ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे

• राज्यम्: kingdom; sovereignty
• राज्यम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र कर्म (what was taken)

• स्वपुत्रेण: by (my) own son
• स्वपुत्रेण: Karta (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘स्वस्य पुत्रः’); कर्मणि-प्रयोगे कर्ता (agent)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचन

• निर्वास्य: having banished
• निर्वास्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निर् + √वस् (धातु) + णिच्? (causative sense) + ल्यप् (क्त्वा-समकक्ष)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive): ‘having expelled/banished’ (causative/denominative usage in context)

• विगर्हितम्: disgraced; condemned
• विगर्हितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विगर्हित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वि + √गर्ह् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग? अत्र ‘माम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणरूपेण द्वितीया-एकवचन (masc acc sg) अपेक्षितः; पाठे ‘विगर्हितम्’ रूपं नपुंसक/सामान्य-रूपेण प्रयुक्तम् (blameworthy/condemned)

Speaker

Unspecified (same repentant former king speaking)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahāmuni

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An aged king, weakened by time, is expelled from the palace by his own son; the former ruler walks away with minimal belongings, head bowed, as citizens watch in mixed fear and pity.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly power is unstable; karmic consequence and time humble even kings, turning the mind toward detachment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Still contextual; the narrative moves toward the tīrtha where the fallen king later attains purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes the life-turning event that leads to pilgrimage and sacred bathing later.