Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

अथ तां स्वगृहं नीत्वा प्रोचतुः कामपीडितौ । भवावाभ्यां विशालाक्षि भार्या धर्मपरायणा । एतदर्थं समानीता त्वं पाताले महीतलात्

Transliteration

atha tāṃ svagṛhaṃ nītvā procatuḥ kāmapīḍitau | bhavāvābhyāṃ viśālākṣi bhāryā dharmaparāyaṇā | etadarthaṃ samānītā tvaṃ pātāle mahītalāt

Translation

Dann brachte er sie in sein Haus, und der von Begierde Gepeinigte sprach: „O Großäugige, du sollst die rechtschaffene, dem Dharma ergebene Gattin von uns beiden sein. Zu eben diesem Zweck bist du von der Erde hinab nach Pātāla gebracht worden.“

Word by Word

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अथ, अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तरार्थक) — then

• tām: her
• tām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्, सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — her

• sva-gṛham: to their own house
• sva-gṛham: Karma (Goal as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (स्व, प्रातिपदिक) + gṛha (गृह, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — to their own house

• nītvā: having taken
• nītvā: Kriya-viseshana (Converb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √nī (नी धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) — having led/taken

• procatuḥ: the two spoke
• procatuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपद — the two said/spoke

• kāma-pīḍitau: afflicted by desire
• kāma-pīḍitau: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāma (काम, प्रातिपदिक) + pīḍita (पीडित, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन — afflicted by desire (qualifying nāgau/tau)

• bhavā: you two (hon.)
• bhavā: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (भवत्, सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सम्मानार्थ सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, द्विवचन — you two (honorific)

• āvābhyām: by us two
• āvābhyām: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive sense/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद्, सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/करण), द्विवचन — by us two

• viśāla-akṣi: O large-eyed lady
• viśāla-akṣi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśāla (विशाल, प्रातिपदिक) + akṣi (अक्षि, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — O large-eyed one

• bhāryā: (as) wife
• bhāryā: Pratijna/Predicate nominal (Complement/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāryā (भार्या, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन — wife

• dharma-parāyaṇā: devoted to dharma
• dharma-parāyaṇā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharma (धर्म, प्रातिपदिक) + parāyaṇa (परायण, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — devoted to dharma (qualifying bhāryā)

• etat-artham: for this purpose
• etat-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etat (एतद्, सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + artha (अर्थ, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — for this purpose

• samānītā: (you were) brought
• samānītā: Kriya (Predicate in passive/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√nī (नी धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — brought (you were brought)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject of passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (युष्मद्, सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन — you

• pātāle: in Pātāla
• pātāle: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pātāla (पाताल, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन — in Pātāla

• mahī-talāt: from the earth
• mahī-talāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī (मही, प्रातिपदिक) + tala (तल, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन — from the earth’s surface

Speaker

Takṣaka (implied within the narrative speech)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a jeweled Pātāla dwelling, the nāga—burning with desire—addresses the abducted woman, declaring she is brought to be their dharma-devoted wife.

Characters & Entities

• Takṣaka
• Pātāla
• Mahī (earth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Invoking “dharma” cannot sanctify an act born of coercion and desire; righteousness requires consent, restraint, and right conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is narrative within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya; the verse itself does not name a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it presents a narrative dialogue.