Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मा मच्छरनिर्भिन्नः स्वसुतां चकमे ततः । जनयामास तान्विप्रान्वालखिल्यांस्तथाविधान्

Transliteration

brahmā maccharanirbhinnaḥ svasutāṃ cakame tataḥ | janayāmāsa tānviprānvālakhilyāṃstathāvidhān

Translation

মোৰ শৰৰে বিদ্ধ হৈ ব্ৰহ্মাই তেতিয়া নিজৰ কন্যাক কামনা কৰিলে; তাৰ পাছত তেওঁ বালখিল্য আদি তেনে ধৰণৰ ব্ৰাহ্মণ ঋষিসকলক জন্ম দিলে।

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मत्: my
• मत्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-समासपूर्वपद-रूप (genitive stem ‘my’)

• शर: arrow
• शर: None
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• निर्भिन्नः: pierced
• निर्भिन्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + भिद् (धातु) → निर्भिन्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘विदारितः/विद्धः’

• स्वसुताम्: his own daughter
• स्वसुताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + सुता (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘स्वस्य सुता’

• चकमे: desired / lusted after
• चकमे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; ‘कामयामास/अकामयत्’

• ततः: then
• ततः: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अनन्तरार्थक (then/thereupon)

• जनयामास: generated / produced
• जनयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; ‘जनयति स्म’

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• विप्रान्: brāhmaṇas/sages
• विप्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• वालखिल्यान्: Vālakhilya sages
• वालखिल्यान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वालखिल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ऋषिविशेष-नाम

• तथा: thus
• तथा: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus/in that manner)

• अविधान्: of such a kind
• अविधान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्—‘तादृशान्’ (of such kind)

Speaker

Kāma (Puṣpaśara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kāma narrates Brahmā’s being pierced by desire and the unsettling moment of longing for his daughter, followed by the emergence of tiny ascetic sages (Vālakhilyas) as a paradoxical outcome.

Characters & Entities

• Kāma
• Brahmā
• Vālakhilya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas depict desire as a destabilizing force; dharma requires vigilance even for the highest authorities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The line is part of a tīrtha-mahātmya chapter but does not itself identify a particular sacred site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit vrata, dāna, or snāna instruction appears in this verse.