Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

यत्र स्थानं चिरं तत्र मेदिन्यां विहितं नृप । पुरीषं च समाविद्धा तेनैषा मेदिनी द्रुतम्

Transliteration

yatra sthānaṃ ciraṃ tatra medinyāṃ vihitaṃ nṛpa | purīṣaṃ ca samāviddhā tenaiṣā medinī drutam

Translation

ข้าแต่พระราชา ณ ที่ใดบนแผ่นดินมีการพำนักยาวนาน ที่นั่นพื้นดินย่อมแปดเปื้อนโดยเร็ว ทั้งยังถูกเปรอะด้วยอุจจาระ; ด้วยเหตุนี้ดินผืนนี้จึงพลันเศร้าหมอง

Word by Word

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative locative adverb: where)

• sthānam: place/abode
• sthānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• ciram: for long
• ciram: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cira (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभावप्रयोग)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: for a long time)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: there)

• medinyām: on the earth/ground
• medinyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: medinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• vihitam: was placed/laid down
• vihitam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-dhā (धातु; √धा)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, कर्मणि), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; ‘विहित’ = placed/arranged

• nṛpa: O king
• nṛpa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• purīṣam: feces/filth
• purīṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purīṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• samāviddhā: was permeated/filled
• samāviddhā: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-vidh (धातु; √विध्/√व्यध्)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, कर्मणि), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘समाविद्धा’ = pierced/penetrated/filled

• tena: by that/thereby
• tena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• eṣā: this
• eṣā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• medinī: earth/ground
• medinī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: medinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• drutam: quickly
• drutam: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: druta (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययप्रयोग)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: quickly/at once)

Speaker

The personified Diseases (Vyādhayaḥ) (continuing explanatory speech to the king)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visual of a campsite/spot on earth shown as defiled after long occupation; the advisor points out the tainted ground to the king, underscoring the need for cleansing and proper conduct.

Characters & Entities

• nṛpa (king)
• medinī (earth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It stresses śauca (purity) and responsible conduct in space, implying that actions leave traces upon the land and upon beings who contact it.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this verse; it discusses the condition of the ground in the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed; the verse describes defilement, which in dharma contexts implies the need for purification practices elsewhere in the episode.