Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

लोहचंचुमयाः काकाः संस्थितास्तदनंतरम् । सरागैर्लोचेनैर्यैश्च ईक्षिताः पर योषितः

Transliteration

lohacaṃcumayāḥ kākāḥ saṃsthitāstadanaṃtaram | sarāgairlocenairyaiśca īkṣitāḥ para yoṣitaḥ

Translation

Aussitôt après se tiennent des corbeaux au bec comme de fer; ceux dont les yeux, emplis de désir, se posèrent sur les épouses d’autrui, les voient (comme leurs tourmenteurs).

Word by Word

• loha: iron
• loha: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)

• caṃcu: beak
• caṃcu: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caṃcu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; समासाङ्ग (मध्यपद)

• mayāḥ: made of (having) iron beaks
• mayāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: maya (प्रातिपदिक; -मय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तृतीयातत्पुरुषः (लोहेन चञ्चुना मयाः = made of iron-beak)

• kākāḥ: crows
• kākāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• saṃsthitāḥ: stationed/standing
• saṃsthitāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-√sthā (धाातु) → saṃsthita (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; स्थिताः = having stood/being stationed

• tad: that
• tad: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)

• anantaram: immediately thereafter
• anantaram: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anantara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; अव्ययार्थे (तद् + अनन्तरम्) = immediately after that

• sarāgaiḥ: with passion/attachment
• sarāgaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa-rāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; सह रागेन = with passion/attachment

• locanaiḥ: with eyes
• locanaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: locana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• yaiḥ: by which
• yaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धे (by which)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• īkṣitāḥ: looked at
• īkṣitāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √īkṣ (धातु) → īkṣita (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मणि/भावे: looked at/seen

• para: other
• para: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; अन्ये = other

• yoṣitaḥ: women
• yoṣitaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoṣit (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (वैदिक/पुराणप्रयोगे रूपम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgara-khaṇḍa māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bleak infernal grove where iron-beaked crows perch in rows; they fixate on sinners whose eyes once wandered with lust, foreshadowing ocular torment.

Characters & Entities

• Kāka (crows)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic ethic extends to intention and gaze: lustful looking at another’s spouse is treated as a serious breach requiring restraint and purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is part of a broader māhātmya discourse that includes moral instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed in this line; it continues the naraka-description tied to moral transgression.