Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

नोढा विधे वृथा मुण्ड नूनं धूर्तोऽसि मे मतः । यत्त्वया शौचसंत्यक्ता कन्याभावप्रदूषिता

Transliteration

noḍhā vidhe vṛthā muṇḍa nūnaṃ dhūrto'si me mataḥ | yattvayā śaucasaṃtyaktā kanyābhāvapradūṣitā

Translation

ಹೇ ವಿಧಿನಿಯತನೇ! ವ್ಯರ್ಥ ಮುಂಡಿತನೇ! ನನ್ನ ದೃಷ್ಟಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ನೀನು ನಿಶ್ಚಯವಾಗಿ ಧೂರ್ತನು; ಏಕೆಂದರೆ ನಿನ್ನಿಂದ ಅವಳು ಶೌಚವನ್ನು ತ್ಯಜಿಸಿ, ಕನ್ಯಾಭಾವವು ಕಲుషಿತವಾಯಿತು।

Word by Word

• नोढा: unmarried (not wedded)
• नोढा: Karta (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: न-ऊढा (ऊह्/वह् धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘ऊढ’ + न-निषेध)
• Form: निषेधपूर्वक क्त-कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st) एकवचन; (कन्या) विशेषणम्—‘अनूढा’

• विधे: O sir! (O one!)
• विधे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative) एकवचन

• वृथा: in vain, falsely
• वृथा: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb): ‘in vain’

• मुण्ड: O bald one!
• मुण्ड: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative) एकवचन

• नूनम्: surely
• नूनम्: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/निश्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नूनम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चयार्थक particle/adverb): ‘surely’

• धूर्तः: a rogue, cheat
• धूर्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative) एकवचन

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (असँ) धातु
• Form: लट् (present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/genitive) एकवचन; ‘मम/मे’

• मतः: considered (by me)
• मतः: Karta (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत (मन् धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त/प्रातिपदिकवत्)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st) एकवचन; ‘(त्वं) मतः’ = considered

• यत्: because, since
• यत्: Sambandha (Causal/relative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् सम्बन्धसूचक (relative particle) — ‘because/that’ (यत्-कारण)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental) एकवचन

• शौचसंत्यक्ता: having abandoned purity/cleanliness
• शौचसंत्यक्ता: Karta (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शौच + संत्यक्ता (त्यज् धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘संत्यक्त’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st) एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कर्मधारय-प्रायः): ‘शौचं संत्यक्ता’ = having abandoned purity; (कन्या) विशेषणम्

• कन्याभावप्रदूषिता: defiled in her maidenhood
• कन्याभावप्रदूषिता: Karta (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कन्या + भाव + प्रदूषिता (दूष् धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st) एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: ‘कन्याभावेन प्रदूषिता’ = defiled in maidenhood/state of virginity; (कन्या) विशेषणम्

Speaker

Unspecified (dialogue voice rebuking a man; exact attribution not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A confrontational moment: an agitated speaker rebukes a shaven-headed ascetic/ritualist figure, accusing him of deceit and of causing a woman to abandon purity; bystanders look shocked.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It condemns deceit and the violation of moral purity, stressing accountability for harming another’s dignity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is referenced in this verse; it is part of a narrative rebuke within the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an ethical accusation rather than a ritual instruction.