Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

ततो गत्वा च साऽश्वत्थं विजने सुमहत्तरम् । तस्याधस्ताद्विमुच्याथ वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह

Transliteration

tato gatvā ca sā'śvatthaṃ vijane sumahattaram | tasyādhastādvimucyātha vākyametaduvāca ha

Translation

پھر وہ ایک ویران جگہ میں کھڑے نہایت عظیم اشوتھ (پیپل) کے پاس گئی۔ اس کے نیچے (بچے کو) رکھ کر اُس نے یہ کلمات کہے۔

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/अनन्तरार्थ (thereupon/from there)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभाव; ‘having gone’

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

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

• अश्वत्थम्: the aśvattha tree
• अश्वत्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वत्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• विजने: in a lonely place
• विजने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; स्थानविशेषण

• सुमहत्तरम्: very large
• सुमहत्तरम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-महत्-तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तर-प्रत्यय (comparative) + सु-उपसर्ग (very)

• तस्य: of it/of that (tree)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अधस्तात्: below
• अधस्तात्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधस्तात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place: below)

• विमुच्य: having left/released
• विमुच्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-मुच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभाव; ‘having released/left (him)’

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थ (then)

• वाक्यम्: words/speech
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ह: indeed (narrative particle)
• ह: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्मरण/वृत्तान्तसूचक निपात (particle, narrative emphasis)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aśvattha-sthāna (unnamed)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a deserted grove stands an immense sacred fig with spreading roots and canopy; the woman gently places the infant beneath it, preparing to speak a prayer.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvattha (sacred fig tree)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seeking refuge in a sanctified locus (like the Aśvattha) reflects Purāṇic dharma: sacred nature becomes a shelter when approached with faith.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate focus is the sanctity of the Aśvattha within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s tīrtha-context; the verse highlights a sacred spot marked by the tree rather than naming a city here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed in this verse; it narrates placing the child beneath the sacred tree as an act of refuge.