Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

तथाप्यहं मुनिश्रेष्ठ न नृत्यं कर्तुमुत्सहे । त्वं पुनर्नृत्यसे कस्मादपि शाकरसेक्षणात्

Transliteration

tathāpyahaṃ muniśreṣṭha na nṛtyaṃ kartumutsahe | tvaṃ punarnṛtyase kasmādapi śākarasekṣaṇāt

Translation

ಆದರೂ, ಹೇ ಮುನಿಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ, ನಾನು ನೃತ್ಯ ಮಾಡಲು ಉತ್ಸಾಹಿಸುವುದಿಲ್ಲ; ಆದರೆ ನೀನು ಶಾಕರಸವನ್ನು ನೋಡಿದ ಮಾತ್ರಕ್ಕೆ ಏಕೆ ನೃತ್ಯಿಸುತ್ತೀಯ?

Word by Word

• tathāpi: even so/however
• tathāpi: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय) + api (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverbial combination; ‘even so/however’

• aham: I
• aham: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aham (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• muniśreṣṭha: O best of sages
• muniśreṣṭha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘munīnām śreṣṭhaḥ’), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध-निपात)

• nṛtyam: dance
• nṛtyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛtya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• kartum: to do
• kartum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Infinitive (तुमुन्), ‘to do’

• utsahe: I am able/dare
• utsahe: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ut-sah (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (लट्, Present), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), Uttama-puruṣa (1st/उत्तम), Singular (एकवचन)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• punar: again
• punar: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• nṛtyase: you dance
• nṛtyase: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nṛt (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (लट्, Present), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), Madhyama-puruṣa (2nd/मध्यम), Singular (एकवचन)

• kasmāt: from what cause?/why?
• kasmāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Interrogative pronoun, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• api: indeed/also
• api: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), emphasis/‘indeed/also’

• śākarasekṣaṇāt: because of Śākara’s glance
• śākarasekṣaṇāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śākara (प्रातिपदिक) + īkṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘śākarasya īkṣaṇam’), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Śiva (addressing the brāhmaṇa/sage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śiva (addressed) and/or the siddha (about whom the question is asked)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa (or sage) respectfully questions: despite the miracle, he himself does not feel moved to dance; he asks why the other dances merely upon seeing ‘śākarasa’, highlighting a contrast between inner detachment and outward ecstasy.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• muni/vipra
• śākarasa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Not every extraordinary experience warrants indulgence; Purāṇic dharma emphasizes discernment and self-restraint even amidst wonder.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it is part of the chapter’s tīrtha-māhātmya discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly discourages uncontrolled celebratory acts; no formal rite is prescribed.