Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । एवं सा तां शचीमुक्त्वा दुःखिता विषकन्यका । चिन्तयामास तदिदं मरणे कृतनिश्चया

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | evaṃ sā tāṃ śacīmuktvā duḥkhitā viṣakanyakā | cintayāmāsa tadidaṃ maraṇe kṛtaniścayā

Translation

Sūta dit : « Après avoir ainsi parlé à Śacī, la jeune fille du poison, accablée de chagrin, y réfléchit—et se résolut à la mort. »

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta (the narrator)
• सूतः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• शचीम्: Śacī (Indrāṇī)
• शचीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उक्त्वा: having spoken (to)
• उक्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having said)

• दुःखिता: distressed
• दुःखिता: Karta (as predicate adjective of ‘सा’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःखित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-आधारित)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• विषकन्यका: the poison-maiden
• विषकन्यका: Karta (Apposition to ‘सा’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष + कन्यका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष-समास (poison-maiden)

• चिन्तयामास: thought, reflected
• चिन्तयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; (periphrastic perfect usage)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (in apposition to ‘तत्’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मरणे: in death; regarding dying
• मरणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• कृतनिश्चया: having made up her mind; resolved
• कृतनिश्चया: Karta (predicate adjective of ‘सा’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत + निश्चय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘कृत’ + ‘निश्चय’ (one whose resolve is made)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) as narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sorrow-stricken poison-maiden stands apart after speaking to Śacī; her posture collapses into contemplation, eyes downcast, hands clenched, the atmosphere heavy with impending self-harm.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Śacī (Indrāṇī)
• Viṣakanyakā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sorrow and rejection can lead to despair; Purāṇic narratives often use such turns to set up divine intervention and the restoration of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it serves as narrative transition within the chapter’s tīrtha-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.