Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

मया स्वयं प्रदृष्टेयं जारेण सह संगता । त्वया वह्ने सुपापेयं न कस्माद्भस्मसात्कृता

Transliteration

mayā svayaṃ pradṛṣṭeyaṃ jāreṇa saha saṃgatā | tvayā vahne supāpeyaṃ na kasmādbhasmasātkṛtā

Translation

“Yo mismo la vi unida a un amante. ¿Por qué, oh Agni, esa gran pecadora no fue reducida a cenizas por ti?”

Word by Word

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (करण) विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by me)

• svayam: personally
• svayam: Avyaya (Modifier/अव्यय-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; emphatic adverb (oneself)

• pradṛṣṭā: seen
• pradṛṣṭā: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra√dṛś (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्ययान्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; Past passive participle, feminine nominative singular

• iyam: this (woman)
• iyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; Pronoun feminine nominative singular

• jāreṇa: with a paramour
• jāreṇa: Sahakāraka (Associate/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine instrumental singular

• saha: with
• saha: Avyaya (Relation-marker/संबन्धसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक-उपपद (with) governing instrumental

• saṃgatā: joined/consorted
• saṃgatā: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam√gam (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; Past participle feminine nominative singular

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by you)

• vahne: O Fire
• vahne: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vahni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th) विभक्ति, एकवचन; Vocative singular

• su-pāpā: very sinful
• su-pāpā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + pāpā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; Feminine nominative singular (very sinful)

• iyam: this (woman)
• iyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; Pronoun feminine nominative singular

• na: not
• na: Avyaya (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• kasmāt: why/from what reason
• kasmāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुँलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; Ablative singular (from what reason/why)

• bhasmasāt: to ashes
• bhasmasāt: Gati/Upapada (Result-state/गति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhasmasāt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिणाम/अवस्था-वाचक (to ashes, to destruction)

• kṛtā: made/turned (into)
• kṛtā: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; Past passive participle used predicatively (was made)

Speaker

Accuser/husband (implied by context; addressing Agni)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agni (Vahni/Saptārcis)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A distraught brāhmaṇa confronts Agni, accusing him of failing to burn a woman seen with a paramour; the moment is charged—firelight, pointing gesture, moral indignation.

Characters & Entities

• Agni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse highlights the human tendency to demand immediate punishment, setting up Agni’s role as a discerning witness rather than a tool of vengeance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No prescription; it alludes to fire as a means of judgment, but gives no ritual rule.