Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

कृत्वा वै पातयंत्याशु नरकं नृपसत्तम । मोहनं सर्वभूतानां नारी चैवं विनिर्मिता

Transliteration

kṛtvā vai pātayaṃtyāśu narakaṃ nṛpasattama | mohanaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ nārī caivaṃ vinirmitā

Translation

Demikianlah mereka segera melemparkan seorang manusia ke neraka, wahai raja terbaik. Dengan cara inilah perempuan dibentuk sebagai pemikat (mohana) bagi semua makhluk.

Word by Word

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• पातयन्ति: they cause to fall, they throw
• पातयन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु) (णिच् causative: पातय)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Sambandha (adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/रीति-अव्यय (adverb)

• नरकम्: to hell
• नरकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• नृपसत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नृपाणां सत्तमः)

• मोहनम्: delusion, enchantment
• मोहनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• सर्वभूतानाम्: of all beings
• सर्वभूतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासः (सर्वाणि भूतानि)

• नारी: woman
• नारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार-अव्यय (adverb: thus)

• विनिर्मिता: was fashioned/created
• विनिर्मिता: Kriya (verbal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्मा/मा (धातु) + विनिर्मित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकालिक-कर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

Speaker

Vyāsa (didactic, cautionary framing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Yonikunda (contextual continuation)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa-sattama (best of kings)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king is addressed: a figure is shown being cast toward a dark pit; alongside, a symbolic personification of Moha/Māyā stands with a veiling gesture—more allegorical than literal—indicating enchantment that misleads beings.

Characters & Entities

• Naraka
• Mohana
• Nārī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Attachment and delusion can precipitate downfall; the teaching urges mastery of desire and steadiness in Dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly named; within Dharmāraṇya Māhātmya, the verse strengthens the moral-theological atmosphere of the sacred setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an ethical warning emphasizing self-restraint (dama) and discernment (viveka).