Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

ततोऽसौ वीक्षते नारीं कन्यां वाथ तपस्विनीम् । अविकल्पमना भेजे रूपसौभाग्यगर्वितः

Transliteration

tato'sau vīkṣate nārīṃ kanyāṃ vātha tapasvinīm | avikalpamanā bheje rūpasaubhāgyagarvitaḥ

Translation

Dann erblickte er eine Frau — sei es ein Mädchen oder eine Asketin — und gab sich ihr mit ungezügeltem Geist hin, aufgebläht vor Stolz auf Schönheit und Glück.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal/sequence modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रमवाचक) — indeclinable of sequence

• असौ: that person/he
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वीक्षते: sees/looks at
• वीक्षते: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वीक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — Present, 3rd person, Singular, Ātmanepada

• नारीम्: a woman
• नारीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• कन्याम्: a maiden
• कन्याम्: Karma (Apposition to object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्पार्थक) — disjunctive particle (or)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse/sequence particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तर/प्रसङ्ग) — particle (then/and then)

• तपस्विनीम्: a female ascetic
• तपस्विनीम्: Karma (Apposition/descriptor of object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अविकल्पमना: with unwavering mind
• अविकल्पमना: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अविकल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; बहुव्रीहि (अविकल्पं मनः यस्य सः) — ‘one whose mind is without doubt’

• भेजे: resorted to/embraced
• भेजे: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Perfect, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• रूपसौभाग्यगर्वितः: proud of beauty and good fortune
• रूपसौभाग्यगर्वितः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक) + सौभाग्य (प्रातिपदिक) + गर्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; तत्पुरुष (रूपेण सौभाग्येन च गर्वितः) — proud due to beauty and good fortune

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Nāgara-khaṇḍa; exact named speaker not in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A proud youth gazes at a maiden/ascetic woman; the moment of moral slipping is captured—his posture leaning forward, her stance composed, the hermitage witnessing the imbalance.

Characters & Entities

• Tapasvinī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pride in beauty and fortune, joined with desire, leads to loss of discernment; dharma requires restraint and respect.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is identified in this verse; it advances the ethical storyline within the māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive, portraying the rise of temptation.