Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

तद्भक्त्या लब्धराज्यापि दाहेन परियुज्यसे । गौरी यत्तापसंयुक्ता बालुकाभिः कृता त्वया

Transliteration

tadbhaktyā labdharājyāpi dāhena pariyujyase | gaurī yattāpasaṃyuktā bālukābhiḥ kṛtā tvayā

Translation

„Obwohl du durch jene Hingabe ein Königreich erlangtest, wirst du noch immer von brennendem Schmerz gequält; denn die Gaurī, die du aus Sand formtest, wurde im Zusammenhang mit Hitze geschaffen.“

Word by Word

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; भक्त्या इत्यस्य विशेषण (genitive relation)

• भक्त्या: by devotion
• भक्त्या: Hetu/Instrument (Cause/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• लब्धराज्या: having obtained a kingdom
• लब्धराज्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: labdha (प्रातिपदिक; √labh धातु) + rājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (PPP) labdha; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (rājyaṃ labdhā)

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

• दाहेन: by burning/heat
• दाहेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• परियुज्यसे: you are afflicted/subjected
• परियुज्यसे: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari + √yuj (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग (passive sense: 'you are afflicted/connected')

• गौरी: Gaurī
• गौरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaurī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यत्: because/that
• यत्: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative particle: 'because/that which')

• तापसंयुक्ता: connected with heat/austerity
• तापसंयुक्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃyukta (प्रातिपदिक; sam+√yuj धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (PPP) saṃyukta; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (tāpena saṃyuktā)

• बालुकाभिः: with sand
• बालुकाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bālukā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• कृता: was made/done
• कृता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Kartr̥ (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया, एकवचन

Speaker

The sage (muni)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The teacher explains the paradox: devotion granted kingship, yet burning pain persists due to heat-associated sand worship; visual contrast between royal insignia and the devotee’s suffering heat.

Characters & Entities

• Gaurī (Pārvatī)
• rājya (kingdom)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion can yield worldly success, yet improper or harmful modes of worship may leave lingering suffering; dharma includes correct practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of a tīrtha chapter but does not name the location; the tīrtha context frames the remedy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It diagnoses the cause (heat-associated worship with sand), preparing for the prescribed cooling/abhiṣeka practice later.