Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

नो चेत्संपत्स्यसे भस्म पतंग इव पावकम् । समासाद्य निशायोगे मूढं भावं समाश्रितः

Transliteration

no cetsaṃpatsyase bhasma pataṃga iva pāvakam | samāsādya niśāyoge mūḍhaṃ bhāvaṃ samāśritaḥ

Translation

Sinon, tu seras réduit en cendres—tel le papillon de nuit qui se précipite dans la flamme—en t’approchant hors du temps propice, tombé dans l’illusion.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (negation particle)

• उ: indeed/then
• उ: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (emphatic particle; often with न = 'otherwise/indeed')

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, शर्तार्थक (conditional particle 'if')

• संपत्स्यसे: you will become/come to
• संपत्स्यसे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + पद् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• भस्म: ashes
• भस्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; फल/परिणामरूपेण

• पतंगः: a moth
• पतंगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पतंग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमानसूचक (comparative particle 'like')

• पावकम्: fire
• पावकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पावक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• समासाद्य: having approached
• समासाद्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + सद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having approached)

• निशायोगे: in the conjunction of night (darkness)
• निशायोगे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक) + योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः), पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• मूढम्: deluded
• मूढम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूढ (कृदन्त; मुह् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• भावम्: state/attitude
• भावम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• समाश्रितः: having resorted to
• समाश्रितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः (having resorted to)

Speaker

Garuḍa (continuing warning to the brāhmaṇa in context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Janārdana-śayana-tīrtha (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vivid moral simile: a moth rushing into a flame, juxtaposed with a pilgrim approaching a blazing divine aura at night, blinded by delusion.

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍa
• Vaiṣṇava tejas (implied)
• pataṅga (moth)
• pāvaka (fire)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual eagerness must be guided by discernment; reckless approach to the sacred can become self-destructive.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same Janārdana water-tīrtha where the Lord’s radiance is intensely manifest.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implicit rule of approach: do not rush in at an improper time or with an unfit, deluded mindset.