Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

कामार्तश्च विशेषेण मम वाक्यादसंशयम्

Transliteration

kāmārtaśca viśeṣeṇa mama vākyādasaṃśayam

Translation

«Et, tout particulièrement, tu seras tourmenté par le désir; de cela, point de doute, par ma parole même.»

Word by Word

• कामार्तः: afflicted by desire
• कामार्तः: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + आर्त (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √ऋ (धातु) आर्त ‘afflicted’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कामेन आर्तः)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभाव (adverbial instrumental) — ‘especially’

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वाक्यात्: from (my) words
• वाक्यात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन

• असंशयम्: without doubt
• असंशयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: असंशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) — ‘without doubt’

Speaker

Sāvitrī (deduced; continuation of the curse statement)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brahmā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A close, psychological moment: Sāvitrī’s words seal the fate—Brahmā is shown inwardly unsettled, the air heavy with the certainty of the curse.

Characters & Entities

• Sāvitrī
• Kāma (as desire)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unrestrained kāma (desire) is portrayed as an affliction that binds beings to suffering and lower states.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this half-verse; it reinforces the moral force of Sāvitrī’s pronouncement within the wider māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is declarative, emphasizing certainty of karmic consequence.