Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

विषकन्योवाच । नाहं त्वत्तो वरं देवि प्रार्थयामि कथञ्चन । तथान्यासामपींद्राणि देवतानामसंशयम्

Transliteration

viṣakanyovāca | nāhaṃ tvatto varaṃ devi prārthayāmi kathañcana | tathānyāsāmapīṃdrāṇi devatānāmasaṃśayam

Translation

Die Giftjungfrau sprach: „O Göttin, ich erbitte von dir keinerlei Gabe, auf keine Weise. Ebenso erbitte ich sie nicht von anderen Gottheiten, nicht einmal von Indra selbst, ohne Zweifel.“

Word by Word

• विषकन्या: the poison-maiden
• विषकन्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष (प्रातिपदिक) + कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (विषस्य कन्या); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — speaker

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — ‘said’

• न: not
• न: Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘I’

• त्वत्तः: from you
• त्वत्तः: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पञ्चमी, एकवचन — ablative ‘from you’

• वरम्: a boon
• वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘boon’ object of ‘प्रार्थयामि’

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — vocative ‘O goddess’

• प्रार्थयामि: I request
• प्रार्थयामि: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√अर्थ्/अर्थय् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — ‘I request/beg’

• कथञ्चन: at all
• कथञ्चन: Kriya-visheshana (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथञ्चन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नूनार्थे/कदाचित्-अर्थे ‘in any way/at all’ (emphatic)

• तथा: thus/so
• तथा: Discourse connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारार्थक ‘thus/so’

• अन्यासाम्: of others
• अन्यासाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन — ‘of other (women)’

• अपि: also
• अपि: Particle (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ ‘also/even’

• इन्द्राणि: Indrāṇīs
• इन्द्राणि: Karma or Karta (context-dependent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्राणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन — ‘Indrāṇīs’ (wives of Indras) / ‘queens of Indra’ (contextual)

• देवतानाम्: of the gods
• देवतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन — ‘of the deities’

• असंशयम्: without doubt
• असंशयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: असंशयम् (अव्यय/नपुंसक-रूप)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक ‘without doubt’

Speaker

Viṣakanyakā

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śakrāṇī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The poison-maiden, palms joined, calmly declines boons from Śakrāṇī and even from Indra—her face resolute, detached, and sincere.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣakanyakā
• Devī
• Indra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True devotion may seek not rewards but alignment with the highest divine will—renunciation of boons signals spiritual maturity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha-māhātmya setting is Adhyāya 62 of the Nāgara Khaṇḍa; the site is not specified within this single verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse emphasizes intent—refusing boons and turning away from lesser aims.