Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

तावत्स्नेहपरो मर्त्यस्तावद्वदति कोमलम् । चमत्कारोद्भवं क्षेत्रं यावन्न स्पृशतेंऽघ्रिभिः

Transliteration

tāvatsnehaparo martyastāvadvadati komalam | camatkārodbhavaṃ kṣetraṃ yāvanna spṛśateṃ'ghribhiḥ

Translation

มนุษย์ย่อมยังคงเปี่ยมด้วยความรักและกล่าววาจาอ่อนโยน เพียงตราบเท่าที่เท้ายังมิได้เหยียบต้องเขตศักดิ์สิทธิ์อันอัศจรรย์บังเกิดนี้

Word by Word

• तावत्: so long
• तावत्: Kala-parimana (Temporal measure/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रमाण/कालवाचक (correlative adverb)

• स्नेह-परः: devoted to affection
• स्नेह-परः: Kartṛ-predicative (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्नेह (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (स्नेहे परः = स्नेहासक्तः)

• मर्त्यः: a mortal, man
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तावत्: so long
• तावत्: Kala-parimana (Temporal measure/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, सहसम्बन्ध (correlative)

• वदति: speaks
• वदति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कोमलम्: softly; gentle (words)
• कोमलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (softly) / कर्मरूपेण (soft words)

• चमत्कार-उद्भवम्: arisen from wonder; miraculous
• चमत्कार-उद्भवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चमत्कार (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (चमत्कारात् उद्भवः) विशेषण (क्षेत्रम्)

• क्षेत्रम्: the sacred place
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• यावत्: until, as long as
• यावत्: Kala-parimana (Temporal limit/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, सहसम्बन्ध (correlative ‘as long as/until’)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• स्पृशते: touches
• स्पृशते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• अङ्घ्रिभिः: with (his) feet
• अङ्घ्रिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्घ्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (continuation of the same narration to Lakṣmaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Lakṣmaṇa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at the very edge of the sacred land: one foot lifted, about to touch; behind him affectionate conversation, ahead a subtle atmospheric shift; the teacher narrates the moment when gentleness ends upon contact.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic worldview treats sacred space as spiritually potent—capable of altering temperament—thus requiring conscious discipline and purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A miraculous pañcakrośa-kṣetra within Nāgarakhaṇḍa, Adhyāya 20; the verse highlights its extraordinary nature rather than naming it.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None here; the verse motivates the need for corrective tīrtha practices that follow.