Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

मुखमध्यगते मद्ये सोऽपि तां कोपसंयुतः । वेश्यां प्रभर्त्सयामास धिग्धिक्शब्दैर्मुहुर्मुहुः

Transliteration

mukhamadhyagate madye so'pi tāṃ kopasaṃyutaḥ | veśyāṃ prabhartsayāmāsa dhigdhikśabdairmuhurmuhuḥ

Translation

酒が口の中ほどに達すると、彼は怒りに満ち、遊女を幾度も叱りつけて「恥を知れ、恥を知れ！」と叫んだ。

Word by Word

• मुख-मध्य-गते: when (it was) in the middle of (his) mouth
• मुख-मध्य-गते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषसमासः (मुखस्य मध्ये गते = located in the middle of the mouth)

• मद्ये: in the liquor
• मद्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

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

• कोप-संयुतः: filled with anger
• कोप-संयुतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोप (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषार्थः (कोपेन संयुतः = endowed with anger)

• वेश्याम्: the courtesan
• वेश्याम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेश्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रभर्त्सयामास: reviled, scolded
• प्रभर्त्सयामास: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√भर्त्स् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोगभावः (causative-stem sense: to revile strongly)

• धिग्धिक्-शब्दैः: with cries of “shame!”
• धिग्धिक्-शब्दैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धिग्धिक् (अव्यय/निन्दाशब्द) + शब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; निन्दाशब्द-सम्बद्ध-तत्पुरुषः (धिग्धिक् इति शब्दैः)

• मुहुः: again and again
• मुहुः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्तिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: repeatedly)

• मुहुः: repeatedly
• मुहुः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्तिवाचक-अव्यय (reduplication for emphasis)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; exact speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The man jerks upright, wine at his lips, brows furrowed; his hand pushes the vessel away. The courtesan recoils, startled. The word ‘dhik’ is visually implied by his sharp gesture and stern face.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Moral awareness awakens instantly when one recognizes a transgression; repentance begins with honest recognition and rejection of the act.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The single verse does not specify a named tīrtha; it functions as part of a larger tīrthamāhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse depicts reaction and remorse, leading into later expiation.