Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

दौर्भाग्यदोषसंपन्ना नागरीभिः समावृता । अस्माकं सुखमार्गोऽयं नृत्यगीतसमुद्भवः

Transliteration

daurbhāgyadoṣasaṃpannā nāgarībhiḥ samāvṛtā | asmākaṃ sukhamārgo'yaṃ nṛtyagītasamudbhavaḥ

Translation

দুৰ্ভাগ্যৰ দোষে চিহ্নিত, নগৰৰ নাৰীসকলৰ মাজত ঘেৰাও হৈ, তাই ক’লে: “নৃত্য-গীতৰ পৰা উদ্ভৱ হোৱা এইয়েই আমাৰ সুখৰ পথ।”

Word by Word

• दौर्भाग्यदोषसंपन्ना: endowed with the defect of misfortune
• दौर्भाग्यदोषसंपन्ना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दौर्भाग्य-दोष-संपन्न (प्रातिपदिक; दौर्भाग्य + दोष + संपन्न)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (दौर्भाग्यस्य दोषः; तेन संपन्ना = endowed with the fault of misfortune)

• नागरीभिः: by/with city-women (Nāgarīs)
• नागरीभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नागरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• समावृता: surrounded
• समावृता: Kriya (Predicative participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√वृ (धातु) + त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle/क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘(सा) समावृता’ = surrounded

• अस्माकम्: of us/our
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• सुखमार्गः: path to happiness
• सुखमार्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख-मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक; सुख + मार्ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (सुखस्य मार्गः)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नृत्यगीतसमुद्भवः: arising from dance and song
• नृत्यगीतसमुद्भवः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नृत्य-गीत-समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक; नृत्य + गीत + समुद्भव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (नृत्यगीतयोः समुद्भवः = arising from dance and song)

Speaker

Unspecified woman (contextual speaker in the narrative; likely a Nāgarī or the one being addressed in the episode)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Audumbarī/Sāvitrī-sannidhi tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Gandharva interlocutor (implied by adjacent address)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of city women encircle a central figure speaking with a tone of ill-fortune; dance and song are presented as their chosen pleasure-path, set against the implied sanctity of a nearby tīrtha.

Characters & Entities

• Nāgarī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames pleasure rooted in entertainment as a potentially dharma-diverting choice when joined with misfortune and moral fault, setting up karmic consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya stream; the immediate line is narrative setup rather than direct praise of a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it introduces a lifestyle orientation that later prompts a corrective religious instruction.