Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

ततो मयाऽतिकोपेन नियुक्तो राजयक्ष्मणा । असत्यजल्पको मन्दः कामदेववशं गतः

Transliteration

tato mayā'tikopena niyukto rājayakṣmaṇā | asatyajalpako mandaḥ kāmadevavaśaṃ gataḥ

Translation

Darum wurde er durch meinen übermäßigen Zorn mit rājayakṣmā, der königlichen Schwindsucht, belegt. Jener Träge, der Unwahres redete, war unter die Gewalt des Kāma, des Gottes der Begierde, geraten.

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (काल/क्रम-निर्देशक adverb: then/thereafter)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन

• अतिकोपेन: with great anger
• अतिकोपेन: Karana (Instrument/cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अति + कोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (अतिशयितः कोपः)

• नियुक्तः: was assigned/afflicted
• नियुक्तः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + युज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि (was appointed/afflicted)

• राजयक्ष्मणा: by rājayakṣmā (consumption)
• राजयक्ष्मणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज + यक्ष्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (राजा इव यक्ष्मा/राज्ञः यक्ष्मा) = consumption

• असत्यजल्पकः: speaking untruth
• असत्यजल्पकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असत्य + जल्पक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (असत्यं जल्पति इति)

• मन्दः: dull/weak
• मन्दः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• कामदेववशम्: under the control of Kāma (Cupid)
• कामदेववशम्: Karma (Object/goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कामदेव + वश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कामदेवस्य वशः)

• गतः: went/entered
• गतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (gone/entered)

Speaker

Dakṣa

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śiva (implicit audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dakṣa recounts the curse: a visual of Candra becoming pale and diminished, a shadowy personification of rājayakṣmā approaching; Kāma’s influence hinted by floral arrows or a subtle cupid-like deity in the margins.

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣa
• Rājayakṣmā
• Kāmadeva
• Candra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Uncontrolled desire and false speech lead to downfall, and uncontrolled anger leads to harmful actions—both are shown as sources of suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the mythic explanation embedded in the chapter’s tīrtha-mahātmya setting, without naming a separate site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it explains the cause of the affliction (rājayakṣmā) in narrative form.