Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

एवंविधोऽपि सोऽतीवविरूपोऽपि सुदुर्मतिः । प्रार्थयामास वै कन्यां स्वजात्यां वीक्ष्य सुंदरीम्

Transliteration

evaṃvidho'pi so'tīvavirūpo'pi sudurmatiḥ | prārthayāmāsa vai kanyāṃ svajātyāṃ vīkṣya suṃdarīm

Translation

Bien qu’il fût tel—d’une laideur extrême et d’une intention mauvaise—ayant vu la beauté de la jeune fille, il demanda pourtant une vierge de sa propre communauté.

Word by Word

• एवंविधः: such (a kind of person)
• एवंविधः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एवं + विध (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘एवंविधः’ (of such a kind); विशेषण (of ‘सः’)

• अपि: even though
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-निपात (even/although)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अतीव: very
• अतीव: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतीव (अव्यय)
• Form: तीव्रतावाचक-अव्यय (very/excessively)

• विरूपः: ugly
• विरूपः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (of ‘सः’)

• अपि: even though
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-निपात (even/although)

• सुदुर्मतिः: very wicked-minded man
• सुदुर्मतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + दुर्मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपसर्गपूर्वक-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयार्थ: ‘अत्यन्तं दुर्मतिः’ (very evil-minded); कर्तृपद

• प्रार्थयामास: begged/asked for
• प्रार्थयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अर्थय् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• कन्याम्: a maiden
• कन्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म (object of asking)

• स्वजात्याम्: of his own caste
• स्वजात्याम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व + जाति (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘स्वस्य जातिः’ (of his own caste); विशेषण (of ‘कन्याम्’)

• वीक्ष्य: having seen
• वीक्ष्य: Sambandha (Gerundial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि + ईक्ष् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): ‘having seen’

• सुन्दरीम्: beautiful
• सुन्दरीम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुन्दरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of ‘कन्याम्’)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; within Nāgarakhaṇḍa narrative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Maṇibhadra, disfigured yet intent, gazes upon a beautiful maiden of his own community; the contrast between his ugliness and her radiance creates narrative irony and tension.

Characters & Entities

• kanyā (maiden)
• jāti (community)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire and entitlement can persist even in the unrighteous; dharma evaluates character, not merely social matching.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is named in this specific verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse advances the storyline concerning a marriage request.