Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

संप्राप्तस्तत्क्षणादेव लंकाख्यां च महापुरीम् । वीक्षयंस्तान्प्रदेशांश्च यत्र युद्धं पुराऽभवत्

Transliteration

saṃprāptastatkṣaṇādeva laṃkākhyāṃ ca mahāpurīm | vīkṣayaṃstānpradeśāṃśca yatra yuddhaṃ purā'bhavat

Translation

顷刻之间，他便抵达名为楞迦（Laṅkā）的大城，凝望那昔日战事曾发生的诸处。

Word by Word

• संप्राप्तः: having arrived
• संप्राप्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-प्र-आप् (धातु) → संप्राप्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकालिक-कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Past participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तत्क्षणात्: from that very moment
• तत्क्षणात्: Apadana (Source/अवधि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम) + क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन — Masculine, Ablative (5th), Singular; समासः—कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (तत् क्षणः)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय — emphatic particle

• लङ्काख्याम्: called Laṅkā
• लङ्काख्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लङ्का (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative, Singular; समासः—बहुव्रीहि/तत्पुरुषार्थे ‘लङ्का-आख्या’ = ‘named Laṅkā’ (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय — conjunction

• महापुरीम्: the great city
• महापुरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महापुरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative, Singular; समासः—कर्मधारय (महती पुरी)

• वीक्षयन्: looking at
• वीक्षयन्: Karta (Agent of participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-ईक्ष् (धातु) → वीक्षयत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Present active participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Pronoun, Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• प्रदेशान्: regions/places
• प्रदेशान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय — conjunction

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Relative location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/सम्बन्ध-अव्यय — relative adverb ‘where’

• युद्धम्: the battle
• युद्धम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular (here: Nominative as subject of अभवत्)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय — adverb ‘formerly’

• अभवत्: was/happened
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतन-भूत), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Imperfect, 3rd person, Singular

Speaker

Narrator (implied Purāṇic narrator; not explicitly named in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Laṅkā-yuddha-pradeśa (battlefield memorial zone)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Instant arrival over Laṅkā; Rāma surveys the city and scans the surrounding regions marked by the memory of the ancient war.

Characters & Entities

• Laṅkā
• Rāma
• Yuddha (the great war)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy geography is not merely physical—places are sanctified by dharmic events remembered and contemplated.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The city of Laṅkā and its war-associated locales are highlighted as spiritually significant through remembrance of the righteous conflict.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated in this verse.