Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

धर्षयित्वा गुरोः पत्नीं कन्यां वा निजवंशजाम् । नीचां वा व्रतयुक्तां वा कामासक्तेन चेतसा

Transliteration

dharṣayitvā guroḥ patnīṃ kanyāṃ vā nijavaṃśajām | nīcāṃ vā vratayuktāṃ vā kāmāsaktena cetasā

Translation

Ayant violé l'épouse de son maître, ou une jeune fille de sa propre lignée, ou même une femme de basse naissance, ou une femme vouée aux vœux, l'esprit asservi par le désir...

Word by Word

• धर्षयित्वा: having violated/assaulted
• धर्षयित्वा: Purvakala-Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृष्/धर्ष् (धातु) + णिच् (causative) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: णिजन्त-क्त्वान्त अव्यय-भाव (causative gerund): ‘having violated/assaulted’

• गुरोः: of the teacher
• गुरोः: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• पत्नीम्: wife
• पत्नीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• कन्याम्: a maiden/daughter
• कन्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)

• निजवंशजाम्: born in one’s own family line
• निजवंशजाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक) + वंश (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: निजस्य वंशस्य जा (born in one’s own lineage); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण (कन्याम्)

• नीचाम्: low-born
• नीचाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नीच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण (पत्नीम्/कन्याम्)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (or)

• व्रतयुक्ताम्: observing a vow
• व्रतयुक्ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: व्रतेन युक्ता; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (or)

• कामासक्तेन: with lust-attached
• कामासक्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + आसक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: कामे आसक्तः; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; विशेषण (चेतसा)

• चेतसा: with the mind
• चेतसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (continuation; part of the sin-context leading to remedy)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Citrapīṭha / Citreśvara (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral warning tableau: a figure shadowed by desire (kāma) approaching forbidden relations, contrasted with a distant luminous shrine of Citreśvara offering a path of repentance and purification.

Characters & Entities

• Guru
• Vrata
• Kāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Uncontrolled desire leads to grave adharmic acts; the Purāṇas highlight restraint and accountability as foundations of spiritual life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse lists transgressions as context; the associated remedy is given in nearby verses connected to Citreśvara at Citrapīṭha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly in this verse; it prepares the ground for prescribed worship/prāyaścitta in the following shlokas.