Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

सोऽपि तारुण्यगर्वेण वेश्याकरजविक्षतः । सर्वांगेषु सुनिर्लज्जः प्रकटांगो जगाम वै

Transliteration

so'pi tāruṇyagarveṇa veśyākarajavikṣataḥ | sarvāṃgeṣu sunirlajjaḥ prakaṭāṃgo jagāma vai

Translation

Auch er, vom Stolz der Jugend aufgebläht und von den Nägeln einer Kurtisane zerkratzt, ging schamlos umher, den Leib entblößt und am ganzen Körper gezeichnet.

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (also/even)

• tāruṇya-garveṇa: by/with pride of youth
• tāruṇya-garveṇa: Karana (Instrument/cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāruṇya (प्रातिपदिक) + garva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; समास: तारुण्यस्य गर्वः (pride of youth)

• veśyā-kara-ja-vikṣataḥ: scratched by a courtesan's nails
• veśyā-kara-ja-vikṣataḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: veśyā (प्रातिपदिक) + kara (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक) + vikṣata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास (बहुपद): वेश्यायाः करजैः विक्षतः (scratched by a courtesan's fingernails); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP)

• sarva-aṃgeṣu: on all (his) limbs
• sarva-aṃgeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन; समास: सर्वेषु अङ्गेषु (in all limbs)

• sunirlajjaḥ: very shameless
• sunirlajjaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su- + nir- + lajja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; उपसर्ग/उपपद: सु-, निर्- (very shameless)

• prakaṭa-aṅgaḥ: with body exposed
• prakaṭa-aṅgaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prakaṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: प्रकटम् अङ्गं यस्य/प्रकटाङ्गः (with limbs exposed)

• jagāma: went
• jagāma: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Narrator (exact named speaker not in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A young man, arrogant and shameless, walks with parts of his body exposed; scratch-marks from a courtesan’s nails are visible, while onlookers react with disapproval or pity.

Characters & Entities

• Courtesan (veśyā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pride and indulgence degrade dignity; dharma values modesty, restraint, and purity of conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse serves as ethical narrative background within a Māhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes a state of moral and social disgrace.