Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

अथ वीक्ष्य निजं देहं तथाभूतं वराप्सराः । प्रोवाच वेपमाना सा कृतांजलिपुटा स्थिता

Transliteration

atha vīkṣya nijaṃ dehaṃ tathābhūtaṃ varāpsarāḥ | provāca vepamānā sā kṛtāṃjalipuṭā sthitā

Translation

បន្ទាប់មក អប្សរាដ៏ប្រសើរនោះ ឃើញរាងកាយខ្លួនក្លាយទៅដូច្នេះ ក៏ញ័រខ្លួន ឈរដោយបត់ដៃជាគំនាប់ ហើយនិយាយ។

Word by Word

• atha: then
• atha: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/अनन्तरार्थक) = indeclinable; 'अथ' (then/now)

• vīkṣya: having seen
• vīkṣya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vīkṣ (वीक्ष् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); 'वीक्ष्य' = having seen

• nijam: one's own
• nijam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nija (निज प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषण (own)

• deham: body
• deham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deha (देह प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• tathā-bhūtam: in such a state
• tathā-bhūtam: Karma (Object-complement/कर्मपूरक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tathā (तथा अव्यय) + bhūta (भूत कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव-समास = 'तथा' + 'भूत' (thus become/such)

• varāpsarāḥ: the excellent apsarases
• varāpsarāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (वर प्रातिपदिक) + apsaras (अप्सरस् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय = 'वरा अप्सराः' (excellent apsarases)

• provāca: said
• provāca: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदी; 'प्रोवाच' = spoke/said

• vepamānā: trembling
• vepamānā: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Descriptive participle/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vep (वेप् धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त/Present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'वेपमाना' = trembling

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• kṛta-añjali-puṭā: with folded hands
• kṛta-añjali-puṭā: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta (कृत कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + añjali (अञ्जलि प्रातिपदिक) + puṭa (पुट प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/षष्ठीभाव) = 'कृतः अञ्जलिपुटः यस्याः/या' (with hands joined in reverence)

• sthitā: standing
• sthitā: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (State/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (स्था धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (भूतकृदन्त/Past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'स्थित' = standing

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, prior dialogue frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The apsaras, now disfigured, looks at her own body in shock, then stands trembling with folded hands, beginning to speak in supplication.

Characters & Entities

• Apsaras
• Tilottamā (implied)
• Pārvatī (implied, addressed later)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When confronted with the results of fate or divine displeasure, humility and reverent appeal are presented as the first dharmic response.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative is moving toward the glorification of Rūpatīrtha in the Hāṭakeśvara region (explicit in later verses).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed here; the verse highlights the devotional posture of añjali (folded hands).