Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 150

Devanagari script

मुनिरुवाच । अमेध्यजा तस्य यथा तथा तद्रोचनं कृमेः । तथा संसारसूतस्य स्त्रीशरीरं च कामिनः

Transliteration

muniruvāca | amedhyajā tasya yathā tathā tadrocanaṃ kṛmeḥ | tathā saṃsārasūtasya strīśarīraṃ ca kāminaḥ

Translation

Der Weise sprach: «Wie der Wurm, aus Unrat geboren, eben diesen Unrat angenehm findet, so findet der von Begierde getriebene Mann, von den Fäden des Saṃsāra gesponnen, Gefallen am Leib der Frau.»

Word by Word

• मुनिः: the sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अमेध्यजा: born of impurity
• अमेध्यजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमेध्य + जा (प्रातिपदिक; अमेध्य + ज)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (अमेध्यात् जा = born of impurity)

• तस्य: of that (insect)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (as/just as)

• तथा: so
• तथा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: तदनुरूप-अव्यय (so/likewise)

• तत्-रोचनम्: its liking/pleasure
• तत्-रोचनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् + रोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (तस्य रोचनम् = its liking/pleasure)

• कृमेः: of the worm/insect
• कृमेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: तदनुरूप-अव्यय (likewise)

• संसारसूतस्य: of one impelled by saṃsāra
• संसारसूतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार + सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (संसारस्य सूतः = one driven/impelled by saṃsāra)

• स्त्रीशरीरम्: a woman's body
• स्त्रीशरीरम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री + शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (स्त्रियाः शरीरम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कामिनः: of the lustful person
• कामिनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; -इन्-प्रत्ययान्त

Speaker

Muni (the sage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage responds firmly; a symbolic thread-web of saṃsāra is shown around a human figure, while a small worm in filth mirrors the theme of conditioned liking.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Attachment follows one’s conditioning; purification and detachment are needed to rise beyond saṃsāric habits.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is embedded in a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter, but it functions as ethical instruction rather than naming a particular shrine or river.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual instruction appears in this verse.