Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

अहं मोहं यथानीता त्वया माया तपस्विना । तथा तव वधूं माया तपस्वीकोऽपि नेष्यति

Transliteration

ahaṃ mohaṃ yathānītā tvayā māyā tapasvinā | tathā tava vadhūṃ māyā tapasvīko'pi neṣyati

Translation

Wie ich durch dich in Verblendung geführt wurde—durch Māyā, obgleich du die Gestalt eines Asketen trägst—so wird Māyā auch deine eigene Gattin fortführen, selbst wenn sie eine Frau der Askese ist.

Word by Word

• अहम्: me/I
• अहम्: Karman (Object in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मोहम्: delusion
• मोहम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यथा: as
• यथा: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner: 'as')

• आनीता: was led/brought
• आनीता: Kriyā (Passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + नी (धातु) → आनीत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे (passive participle)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karaṇa (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया, एकवचन

• माया: Māyā/illusion
• माया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (त्वया इत्यनेन सह कर्तृकरणभावः)

• तपस्विना: by the ascetic
• तपस्विना: Karaṇa (Instrument/Agent descriptor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण (त्वया)

• तथा: so
• तथा: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: तद्वत्-अव्यय (correlative: 'so/in the same way')

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• वधूम्: wife
• वधूम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वधू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• माया: Māyā
• माया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तपस्वीकः: the ascetic (one)
• तपस्वीकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्वीक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Vākyālaṅkāra (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (concessive: 'even')

• नेष्यति: will lead away
• नेष्यति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Vṛndā (pronouncing a curse/prophetic consequence)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā (frame) / Viṣṇu (in-scene)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vṛndā declares a mirror-like curse: as she was deluded by Viṣṇu’s māyā in ascetic guise, so will māyā carry away his own wife—even if she is austere.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛndā
• Viṣṇu
• Māyā
• Karma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Deceit rebounds: the very māyā used to delude others becomes the instrument of one’s own suffering, demonstrating karmic symmetry.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse functions as part of a tīrtha-linked narrative (māhātmya style), but the specific site is not named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a curse/ethical consequence rather than a ritual injunction.