Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

चिंतितं च मया चित्ते कथमेतां हराम्यहम् । तस्माच्छिष्यत्वमासाद्य भक्तिमस्य करोम्यहम्

Transliteration

ciṃtitaṃ ca mayā citte kathametāṃ harāmyaham | tasmācchiṣyatvamāsādya bhaktimasya karomyaham

Translation

وتفكّرتُ في قلبي: «كيف لي أن آخذها معي؟» لذلك، إذ أنال مقام تلميذه، سأُظهر له البهاكتي، أي التفاني التعبّدي.

Word by Word

• ciṃtitam: was thought
• ciṃtitam: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: cint (धातु) → cintita (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त (past participle) used impersonally; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अर्थ: “it was thought”

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) = conjunction “and”

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Kartr̥/Instrument (कर्ता/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• citte: in (my) mind
• citte: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• katham: how
• katham: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नार्थ) = interrogative adverb “how”

• etām: this woman/her
• etām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (सर्वनाम), द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• harāmi: I take away/abduct
• harāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: हृ (to take/steal/carry away)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् (ablative used adverbially) = “therefore/from that”

• śiṣyatvam: discipleship
• śiṣyatvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiṣya + tva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धित (त्व) = “discipleship”

• āsādya: having attained
• āsādya: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā-sad (धातु) → āsādya (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष (gerund) = “having attained/obtained”

• bhaktim: devotion/service
• bhaktim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• asya: of him
• asya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सर्वनाम), षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• karomi: I do/perform
• karomi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: कृ (to do/make)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

An unnamed narrator (confessional tone) within the Tīrthamāhātmya narrative

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solitary figure in contemplation, eyes lowered, hand to chin, plotting how to obtain a beloved; in the background a serene āśrama suggests the intended disguise of discipleship.

Characters & Entities

• Gālava (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma warns against disguising selfish intent as devotion; true bhakti is inseparable from integrity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the teaching is ethical within a sacred-heritage narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse mentions taking up discipleship and ‘bhakti’ as service, but not as a formal rite.