Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

नो चेत्संपत्स्यसे भस्म पतंग इव पावकम् । समासाद्य निशायोगे मूढं भावं समाश्रितः

Transliteration

no cetsaṃpatsyase bhasma pataṃga iva pāvakam | samāsādya niśāyoge mūḍhaṃ bhāvaṃ samāśritaḥ

Translation

Sonst wirst du zu Asche werden—wie eine Motte, die ins Feuer stürzt—wenn du zur Unzeit näherkommst, vom Wahn ergriffen.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (negation particle)

• उ: indeed/then
• उ: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (emphatic particle; often with न = 'otherwise/indeed')

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, शर्तार्थक (conditional particle 'if')

• संपत्स्यसे: you will become/come to
• संपत्स्यसे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + पद् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• भस्म: ashes
• भस्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; फल/परिणामरूपेण

• पतंगः: a moth
• पतंगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पतंग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमानसूचक (comparative particle 'like')

• पावकम्: fire
• पावकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पावक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• समासाद्य: having approached
• समासाद्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + सद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having approached)

• निशायोगे: in the conjunction of night (darkness)
• निशायोगे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक) + योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः), पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• मूढम्: deluded
• मूढम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूढ (कृदन्त; मुह् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• भावम्: state/attitude
• भावम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• समाश्रितः: having resorted to
• समाश्रितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः (having resorted to)

Speaker

Garuḍa (continuing warning to the brāhmaṇa in context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Janārdana-śayana-tīrtha (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vivid moral simile: a moth rushing into a flame, juxtaposed with a pilgrim approaching a blazing divine aura at night, blinded by delusion.

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍa
• Vaiṣṇava tejas (implied)
• pataṅga (moth)
• pāvaka (fire)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual eagerness must be guided by discernment; reckless approach to the sacred can become self-destructive.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same Janārdana water-tīrtha where the Lord’s radiance is intensely manifest.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implicit rule of approach: do not rush in at an improper time or with an unfit, deluded mindset.