Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

कामानभिलषन्मोहान्न नरः सुखमाप्नुयात् । श्येनालयतरुच्छायां व्रजन्निव कपिञ्जलः

Transliteration

kāmānabhilaṣanmohānna naraḥ sukhamāpnuyāt | śyenālayatarucchāyāṃ vrajanniva kapiñjalaḥ

Translation

Ein Mensch, der aus Verblendung nach Begierden giert, erlangt kein Glück—wie ein Frankolin, der unter dem Schatten eines Baumes ruht, der dem Habicht zur Wohnung dient.

Word by Word

• kāmān: desires
• kāmān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन; कर्म (object)

• abhilaṣan: desiring
• abhilaṣan: Karta (Agent qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhilaṣ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: अभि-

• mohāt: from delusion
• mohāt: Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: moha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन; हेतौ/अपादान (cause/ablative)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• naraḥ: a man
• naraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; कर्ता

• sukham: happiness
• sukham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; कर्म

• āpnuyāt: would obtain
• āpnuyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: आ-

• śyena-ālaya-taru-chāyām: the shade of a tree at an eagle’s abode
• śyena-ālaya-taru-chāyām: Karma (Goal/Place as object of motion/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śyena (प्रातिपदिक) + ālaya (प्रातिपदिक) + taru (प्रातिपदिक) + chāyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (श्येनस्य आलयः = श्येनालयः; श्येनालयस्य तरोः छाया = श्येनालयतरुच्छाया)

• vrajan: going
• vrajan: Karta (Agent qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vraj (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• iva: as if/like
• iva: Sambandha (Comparison marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय

• kapiñjalaḥ: a partridge
• kapiñjalaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapiñjala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; कर्ता (उपमेय)

Speaker

Narrative voice (contextual; speaker not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Contextual) king/pilgrim audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small ground-bird (kapinjala/francolin) walks toward the cool shade of a tree; above, unseen at first, a hawk’s nest and the hawk’s sharp gaze signal imminent danger—an allegory of pleasure-seeking leading to harm.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Craving (kāma) born of delusion (moha) leads one into danger and unrest; true sukha comes from restraint and discernment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse gives a general dharma-teaching within the Tīrthamāhātmya setting; no single tīrtha-name is stated in the shloka itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; it is an ethical maxim encouraging detachment from harmful desire.