Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

अत्र पूर्वं विपाप्माऽभूद्ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः । सतीवक्त्रं समालोक्य कामार्तोऽपि स पापकृत्

Transliteration

atra pūrvaṃ vipāpmā'bhūdbrahmā lokapitāmahaḥ | satīvaktraṃ samālokya kāmārto'pi sa pāpakṛt

Translation

ইয়াত পূৰ্বকালত লোকপিতামহ ব্ৰহ্মাও পাপদূষিত হৈছিল; কিয়নো সতীৰ মুখ দৰ্শন কৰি সি কামাৰ্ত হৈ অধৰ্ম কৰিলেহি।

Word by Word

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (here)

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (formerly/before)

• विपाप्मा: sinless
• विपाप्मा: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + पाप्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (विगतपाप्मा = sinless)

• अभूत्: became; was
• अभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/aorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

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

• लोकपितामहः: the grandsire of the world
• लोकपितामहः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक + पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘लोकस्य पितामहः’ (grandfather of the world)

• सतीवक्त्रम्: Sati's face
• सतीवक्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सती + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘सत्याः/सत्याः सती-नाम्न्याः वक्त्रम्’ (Sati's face)

• समालोक्य: having seen
• समालोक्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + लोक् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): ‘having looked at’

• कामार्तः: afflicted by desire
• कामार्तः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम + आर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘कामेन आर्तः’ (afflicted by desire)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/अपि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि (even/also)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पापकृत्: a sinner; evil-doer
• पापकृत्: Karta (Predicate noun/कर्ता-विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप + कृ (धातु) → कृत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः/कृदन्तः ‘पापं करोति’ (evil-doer)

Speaker

Vaiśvānara (Agni), inferred from context

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rudraśīrṣa Kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija (brāhmaṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, the grandsire, is shown momentarily overcome by desire upon seeing Satī’s face; the scene is framed as a cautionary remembrance tied to the place.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Satī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even exalted beings must guard against kāma; the Purāṇic message emphasizes self-restraint and the possibility of purification through sacred means.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ‘here’ refers to the Rudraśīrṣa-associated locale whose sanctity is explained through an origin account involving Brahmā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed in this verse; it provides the moral and mythic background for the tīrtha’s purificatory power.