Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

ततो वस्त्रं समुत्क्षिप्य सतीवक्त्रं पितामहः । वीक्षयामास कामार्तः प्रहृष्टेनांतरात्मना

Transliteration

tato vastraṃ samutkṣipya satīvaktraṃ pitāmahaḥ | vīkṣayāmāsa kāmārtaḥ prahṛṣṭenāṃtarātmanā

Translation

Daraufhin hob der Ahn das Tuch empor und, von Begierde gequält, schaute er Satīs Antlitz, innerlich jubelnd und erbebend.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक)

• वस्त्रम्: cloth; garment
• वस्त्रम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• समुत्क्षिप्य: having lifted up
• समुत्क्षिप्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षिप् (धातु) + सम् + उत् (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/ल्यप्), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; 'having lifted up/thrown up'

• सती-वक्त्रम्: Satī’s face
• सती-वक्त्रम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सती (प्रातिपदिक) + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; 'face of Satī'

• पितामहः: Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• पितामहः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• वीक्षयामास: he looked at; he beheld
• वीक्षयामास: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईक्ष् (धातु) + वि (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative stem)

• कामार्तः: afflicted by desire
• कामार्तः: Karta (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + आर्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण

• प्रहृष्टेन: with delighted (state)
• प्रहृष्टेन: Karana (Manner/Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रहृष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; विशेषण

• अन्तरात्मना: with (his) inner heart
• अन्तरात्मना: Karana (Manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तरात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; 'with inner self/heart'

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; specific speaker not stated in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Interlocutor in māhātmya frame (not explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In the smoke-darkened ritual space, Brahmā (Pitāmaha) lifts a cloth/veil and gazes upon Satī’s face, inwardly delighted, revealing the transgressive thrill of desire.

Characters & Entities

• Satī
• Pitāmaha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner delight in transgression signals the fall of conscience; dharma requires purity of heart, not merely outward decorum.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not stated in this verse; it is embedded in a tīrtha-glorifying chapter but the location is not given in the excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it continues the narrative action occurring amid the ritual setting.