Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

एका सा कापि धन्या या चक्रे तस्यावगूहनम् । विश्रब्धा सर्वगात्रेषु तापसस्य महात्मनः

Transliteration

ekā sā kāpi dhanyā yā cakre tasyāvagūhanam | viśrabdhā sarvagātreṣu tāpasasya mahātmanaḥ

Translation

Parmi elles, une femme—se croyant la plus fortunée—embrassa ce grand ascète, avec assurance, se pressant contre tous ses membres.

Word by Word

• ekā: one (woman)
• ekā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying sā)

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• kāpi: some (one)
• kāpi: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kā (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + api (अव्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक सर्वनाम (some/any)

• dhanyā: fortunate, blessed
• dhanyā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhanya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• yā: who
• yā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• cakre: she did
• cakre: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• avagūhanam: embrace, clasping
• avagūhanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ava-gūh (धातु) + lyuṭ (ल्युट्)
• Form: कृदन्त-नाम (ल्युट्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• viśrabdhā: confident, unhesitating
• viśrabdhā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-śrambh (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying sā)

• sarvagātreṣu: on all (his) limbs
• sarvagātreṣu: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + gātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (sarvāṇi gātrāṇi = all limbs)

• tāpasasya: of the ascetic
• tāpasasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāpasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• mahātmanaḥ: of the great-souled one
• mahātmanaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण (epithet of tāpasasya)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) — deductive attribution

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: One woman ascetic steps forward from the group, convinced of her ‘good fortune,’ and embraces the great ascetic fully; surrounding ascetics react with shock, envy, or confusion; Rudra remains composed, the moment charged with impending revelation.

Characters & Entities

• Tāpasa (ascetic; Śiva in disguise implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mistaking impulse for ‘fortune’ is delusion; the story warns that desire can masquerade as auspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Nāgarakhaṇḍa āśrama-tīrtha where Śiva’s presence triggers a didactic test of restraint.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative caution within the māhātmya framework.