Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

दुःखेन महता युक्तः स्खलमानः पदेपदे । वृद्धभावात्तथा शोकात्पुत्राकृत्यसमुद्भवात्

Transliteration

duḥkhena mahatā yuktaḥ skhalamānaḥ padepade | vṛddhabhāvāttathā śokātputrākṛtyasamudbhavāt

Translation

เขาถูกความทุกข์ใหญ่ครอบงำ สะดุดล้มแทบทุกย่างก้าว—ด้วยความชรา และด้วยความโศกที่เกิดจากความผิดของบุตร

Word by Word

• दुःखेन: with sorrow
• दुःखेन: Karana (Instrument/Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन (Singular)

• महता: great
• महता: Karana (Qualifier of instrument/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying दुःखेन)

• युक्तः: endowed/afflicted
• युक्तः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) → युक्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• स्खलमानः: stumbling
• स्खलमानः: Karta (Agent-participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्खल् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• पदे: at (each) step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन (Singular)

• पदे: step by step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Distributive location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (reduplication for distributive sense)

• वृद्ध-भावात्: from old age
• वृद्ध-भावात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative); एकवचन (Singular)

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner: likewise/also)

• शोकात्: from grief
• शोकात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative); एकवचन (Singular)

• पुत्र-आकृत्य-समुद्भवात्: from the occurrence of the son's misdeed
• पुत्र-आकृत्य-समुद्भवात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आकृत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative); एकवचन; कारणवाचक (ablative of cause)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An elderly Viśvāvasu, bent and trembling, stumbles step by step, supported by attendants; his face shows deep grief born of his son’s wrongdoing.

Characters & Entities

• putra (son)
• vṛddha (old man/old age)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wrongdoing in a family creates ripples of suffering; dharma calls for acknowledgement, correction, and purification rather than denial.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it functions as narrative context within a larger tīrtha-māhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated here; the verse describes the emotional and moral pressure leading toward prāyaścitta.