Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

कृत्वा मां दुःखसंतप्तं मातरं चापि पुत्रकः । प्रस्थितो दीर्घमध्वानं विरुद्धं कृतवान्विधिः

Transliteration

kṛtvā māṃ duḥkhasaṃtaptaṃ mātaraṃ cāpi putrakaḥ | prasthito dīrghamadhvānaṃ viruddhaṃ kṛtavānvidhiḥ

Translation

เขาทิ้งข้าพเจ้าและมารดาไว้ให้ไหม้ร้อนด้วยทุกข์ แล้วบุตรก็ออกเดินทางไกล; โชคชะตากลับกระทำสวนทางธรรมอันชอบ

Word by Word

• कृत्वा: having done/made
• कृत्वा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), धातु: कृ; पूर्वक्रिया (having done)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (speaker), द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• दुःखसंतप्तम्: afflicted by sorrow
• दुःखसंतप्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख + संतप्त (प्रातिपदिक; √तप् धातु से क्त)
• Form: समास: दुःखेन संतप्तः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष); विशेषण; द्वितीया, एकवचन, (माम् इति कर्मस्य) लिङ्गानुसारम्

• मातरम्: mother
• मातरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

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

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थ (also/even)

• पुत्रकः: the little son/boy
• पुत्रकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन; लघुप्रत्ययान्त (diminutive)

• प्रस्थितः: having departed/started
• प्रस्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-स्था (धातु) → प्रस्थित (क्त-कृदन्त प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle) ‘gone/started’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग

• दीर्घमध्वानम्: a long journey/road
• दीर्घमध्वानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीर्घ + अध्वान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: दीर्घः अध्वानः (कर्मधारय); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• विरुद्धम्: contrary/opposed
• विरुद्धम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक; √रुध् धातु से क्त)
• Form: विशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (सन्दर्भानुसार), द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘contrary/opposed’

• कृतवान्: has done/committed
• कृतवान्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृतवत् (कृदन्त प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृतवत्-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (perfective participle: ‘one who has done’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विधिः: fate/ordinance
• विधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

Speaker

Mṛkaṇḍa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grieving father speaks of the child’s departure, with the mother also in sorrow; the road motif suggests the son’s long journey toward death (Yama’s realm).

Characters & Entities

• Mṛkaṇḍa
• mother (mātṛ)
• son (putraka)
• vidhi (fate)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human beings experience fate as ‘contrary,’ yet Purāṇic dharma frames suffering as a doorway to higher resolve and sacred recourse.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The larger episode remains tied to Agnitīrtha and tīrtha-yātrā, though this verse emphasizes personal grief rather than site praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it prepares the narrative for a drastic vow-like action.