Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

अज्ञाता पतिना मात्रा तथान्यैरपि बांधवैः । कृष्णपक्षं समासाद्य विजने हृष्टमानसा

Transliteration

ajñātā patinā mātrā tathānyairapi bāṃdhavaiḥ | kṛṣṇapakṣaṃ samāsādya vijane hṛṣṭamānasā

Translation

ಗಂಡನಿಗೂ ತಾಯಿಗೂ ಇತರ ಬಂಧುಗಳಿಗೂ ತಿಳಿಯದಂತೆ ಅವಳು ಕೃಷ್ಣಪಕ್ಷವನ್ನು ಆಯ್ದುಕೊಂಡು ನಿರ್ಜನ ಸ್ಥಳದಲ್ಲಿ ಹರ್ಷಿತ ಮನಸ್ಸಿನಿಂದ ಸಂಚರಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದಳು.

Word by Word

• ajñātā: unknown/unnoticed
• ajñātā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jñā (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः—क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Passive Participle) ‘अज्ञात’ (na known); स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; (सा) विशेषणम्

• patinā: by (her) husband
• patinā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करणे/Instrumental), एकवचनम्

• mātrā: by (her) mother
• mātrā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करणे/Instrumental), एकवचनम्

• tathā: and likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: likewise/and also)

• anyaiḥ: by other
• anyaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (bāṃdhavaiḥ)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारार्थक-अव्ययम् (particle: also/even)

• bāṃdhavaiḥ: by relatives
• bāṃdhavaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāndhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करणे/Instrumental), बहुवचनम्

• kṛṣṇa-pakṣam: the dark fortnight
• kṛṣṇa-pakṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + pakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म/Object), एकवचनम्; समासः—कर्मधारयः (कृष्णः पक्षः)

• samāsādya: having come to
• samāsādya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-sad (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (Gerund/Absolutive): having reached/entered

• vijane: in a lonely place
• vijane: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vijana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (अधिकरणे/Locative), एकवचनम्

• hṛṣṭa-mānasā: with a delighted mind
• hṛṣṭa-mānasā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hṛṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्ताधारित) + mānasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्; समासः—कर्मधारयः (हृष्टं मानसं यस्याः)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Caturāsya-āśrama tīrtha (context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas / sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moonless or thin-crescent night; the woman slips away unseen from household watch, moving toward a lonely grove near the sacred precinct, her face lit by faint starlight and desire.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hidden actions still bind the doer; dharma is not determined by secrecy but by truth and right conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it functions as narrative background within a tīrtha-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the mention of kṛṣṇapakṣa is contextual (timing for secrecy), not a vrata instruction here.