Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

सहसा सा हता तेन गार्द्ध्रपत्रेण पत्रिणा । दिशो विलोकयामास समंताद्व्यथयार्दिता

Transliteration

sahasā sā hatā tena gārddhrapatreṇa patriṇā | diśo vilokayāmāsa samaṃtādvyathayārditā

Translation

اس نے گِدھ کے پر جیسے پر لگے تیر سے اسے اچانک زخمی کر دیا۔ درد سے بے قرار ہو کر وہ چاروں سمتوں میں ہر طرف دیکھنے لگی۔

Word by Word

• सहसा: suddenly
• सहसा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• हता: killed/struck down
• हता: Karma (Patient/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तेन: by him/with that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• गार्द्ध्रपत्रेण: with a vulture-feathered (arrow)
• गार्द्ध्रपत्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गार्द्ध्रपत्र (प्रातिपदिक; गार्द्ध्र + पत्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (गार्द्ध्रस्य पत्रम्)

• पत्रिणा: with the feathered one (arrow)
• पत्रिणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• दिशः: the directions
• दिशः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• विलोकयामास: looked around
• विलोकयामास: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + लोक् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• समन्तात्: on all sides
• समन्तात्: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्तात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• व्यथया: by pain
• व्यथया: Hetu/Instrumental cause (निमित्त/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अर्दिता: afflicted
• अर्दिता: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्द् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying सा)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wounded doe, struck by a vulture-feather-fletched arrow, staggers and turns her head in all directions, eyes wide with pain, seeking her fawn and a place of refuge; the forest is tense and silent.

Characters & Entities

• Doe
• Arrow (patrin)
• Directions (diśaḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Suffering reveals the ethical weight of actions and often becomes the doorway to repentance and dharma-centered transformation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same Nāgarakhaṇḍa forest-tīrtha environment; the sanctity is implied as events unfold toward a māhātmya revelation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it remains narrative, typically leading into later expiation, worship, or tīrtha observances.