Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

नूनमेतेन या स्त्रीणां कृता निंदा महात्मना । दूषितं ब्रह्मचर्यं यच्छांडिलीं समवेक्ष्य च

Transliteration

nūnametena yā strīṇāṃ kṛtā niṃdā mahātmanā | dūṣitaṃ brahmacaryaṃ yacchāṃḍilīṃ samavekṣya ca

Translation

“Surely, because this great being spoke in blame of women, and because he thereby tainted the ideal of celibacy while looking upon Śāṇḍilī, this has occurred.”

Word by Word

• नूनम्: surely
• नूनम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nūnam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक (adverb of certainty)

• एतेन: by this (one)
• एतेन: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• या: which
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• स्त्रीणाम्: of women
• स्त्रीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कृता: done/made
• कृता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + कृत (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• निन्दा: censure/slander
• निन्दा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niṃdā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• महात्मना: by the great-souled one
• महात्मना: Kartr-karana (Agent expressed instrumentally)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• दूषितम्: tainted/defiled
• दूषितम्: Karma (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दूष् (धातु) + दूषित (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• ब्रह्मचर्यम्: brahmacarya (celibate discipline)
• ब्रह्मचर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahma + carya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative link)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्धक (relative)

• शाण्डिलीम्: Śāṇḍilī
• शाण्डिलीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāṃḍilī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• समवेक्ष्य: having looked at/observed
• समवेक्ष्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अव + ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-भावकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having observed’

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

Speaker

Puṇḍarīkākṣa (Viṣṇu) (inferred from continued reflection)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A reflective moment where the cause is diagnosed: the ‘fall of wings’ is linked to a moral lapse—disparaging women and compromising the spirit of celibacy in the presence of Śāṇḍilī.

Characters & Entities

• Puṇḍarīkākṣa (Viṣṇu)
• Śāṇḍilī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual discipline is harmed by contempt and wrongful speech; purity of brahmacarya includes purity of attitude and words.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is within a Tīrthamāhātmya framework, but the verse itself emphasizes dharmic causality rather than a named location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse presents moral reasoning about offense and discipline.