Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

अहो बत महत्कष्टं पुत्रो मे कृशतां गतः । तपसः संप्रभावेन नयामि स्वगृहं कथम् । भार्येयं च तथा मह्यं विवर्णा तु कृशा स्थिता

Transliteration

aho bata mahatkaṣṭaṃ putro me kṛśatāṃ gataḥ | tapasaḥ saṃprabhāvena nayāmi svagṛhaṃ katham | bhāryeyaṃ ca tathā mahyaṃ vivarṇā tu kṛśā sthitā

Translation

โอ้หนอ ช่างเป็นทุกข์ใหญ่! บุตรของเราผ่ายผอมลงแล้ว ด้วยอานุภาพแห่งตบะอันแรงกล้า เราจะพาเขากลับเรือนของเราได้อย่างไร? และภรรยาของเราก็ยืนอยู่ที่นี่ ซีดเซียวและซูบผอม

Word by Word

• अहो: alas!/oh!
• अहो: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aho (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विस्मयादिबोधक-निपात (interjection/particle of exclamation)

• बत: indeed/alas
• बत: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bata (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/exclamatory particle)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Nom./Acc. sg. neut.); विशेषण

• कष्टम्: distress, hardship
• कष्टम्: Karma/Predicative (Object/प्रत्ययार्थ-विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Nom./Acc. sg. neut.)

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom. sg.)

• मे: my/of me
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी एकवचन (Gen. sg.); सर्वनाम

• कृशताम्: to emaciation, to thinness
• कृशताम्: Gati/Karma (Goal as object/गत्यर्थक-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛśatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया बहुवचन (Acc. pl.); भाववाचक-नाम (state/condition)

• गतः: has gone/has become
• गतः: Karta (Predicate of subject/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु) + gata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (past participle: 'gone/attained')

• तपसः: of austerity
• तपसः: Sambandha (Cause-possessive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन (Gen. sg.)

• संप्रभावेन: by the power/effect
• संप्रभावेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃprabhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचन (Instr. sg.)

• नयामि: I lead/take
• नयामि: Karta (Speaker as agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nī (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्वगृहम्: to (my) own house
• स्वगृहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध: 'own' + 'house'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (Acc. sg.)

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• भार्या: wife
• भार्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāryā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom. sg.)

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Visheshana (Demonstrative qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom. sg.); सर्वनाम

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

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/तुल्यताबोधक (adverb: 'thus/likewise')

• मह्यम्: to me/for me
• मह्यम्: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी एकवचन (Dat. sg.); सर्वनाम

• विवर्णा: pale, discolored
• विवर्णा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vivarṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom. sg.); विशेषण

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (particle: 'but/indeed')

• कृशा: thin, emaciated
• कृशा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom. sg.); विशेषण

• स्थिताः: is staying/has remained
• स्थिताः: Karta (Predicate of subject/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु) + sthita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (standing/remaining)

Speaker

Gautama Ṛṣi (lament/observation in direct speech)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A worried father beholds his emaciated son and pale, thin wife at a pilgrimage encampment; the austerity has visibly drained them, while the sacred destination remains ahead.

Characters & Entities

• Gautama
• Son (unnamed here)
• Āhilyā (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual striving is honored, yet dharma also recognizes compassion and prudent care for the body.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative remains situated in the Hāṭakeśvara-related tīrtha milieu of Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is prescribed; the verse underscores the intensity of tapas and its consequences.