Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

तद्दृष्ट्वा चेष्टितं तस्या राज्यार्हं बहुभोगधृक् । ब्राह्मणार्हैः परित्यक्तं समाचारैश्च कृत्स्नशः

Transliteration

taddṛṣṭvā ceṣṭitaṃ tasyā rājyārhaṃ bahubhogadhṛk | brāhmaṇārhaiḥ parityaktaṃ samācāraiśca kṛtsnaśaḥ

Translation

Voyant sa conduite—digne de la souveraineté et chargée de maints plaisirs—(il comprit qu’elle était) entièrement délaissée des usages convenant aux brāhmaṇas et des justes règles de comportement.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘that’ (referring to what was seen)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) = having seen

• चेष्टितम्: conduct/behavior
• चेष्टितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: √ceṣṭ (धातु) + चेष्टित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘act/behavior’

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• राज्यर्हम्: worthy of royalty
• राज्यर्हम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rājya (प्रातिपदिक) + arha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘राज्यस्य अर्हम्’ (worthy of kingship); विशेषण ‘चेष्टितम्’

• बहुभोगधृक्: bringing many enjoyments
• बहुभोगधृक्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक) + bhoga (प्रातिपदिक) + dhṛk (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √dhṛ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (विशेषण ‘चेष्टितम्’); उपपद-तत्पुरुष/कृदन्त: ‘बहून् भोगान् धरति’ (bearing many enjoyments)

• ब्राह्मणार्हैः: by Brahmin-worthy (people)
• ब्राह्मणार्हैः: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + arha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘ब्राह्मणानाम् अर्हाः’ (fit for Brahmins / Brahmin-worthy persons)

• परित्यक्तम्: abandoned
• परित्यक्तम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pari-√tyaj (धातु) + त्यक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense) qualifying ‘चेष्टितम्’

• समाचारैः: by proper customs
• समाचारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samācāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• कृत्स्नशः: entirely
• कृत्स्नशः: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kṛtsna (प्रातिपदिक) + -śas (शस्)
• Form: अव्यय (शस्-प्रत्ययान्त क्रियाविशेषण) = wholly/in entirety

Speaker

Narrator (not explicitly named in the excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A husband/observer watches the woman’s regal, pleasure-laden behavior and recognizes it as incompatible with brāhmaṇa-appropriate customs; the scene is contemplative, with moral tension rather than action.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma emphasizes integrity of conduct; abandoning one’s proper samācāra for indulgence is portrayed as a moral decline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it evaluates behavior against brāhmaṇa-appropriate norms and customs.