Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

कृत्वा वै पातयंत्याशु नरकं नृपसत्तम । मोहनं सर्वभूतानां नारी चैवं विनिर्मिता

Transliteration

kṛtvā vai pātayaṃtyāśu narakaṃ nṛpasattama | mohanaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ nārī caivaṃ vinirmitā

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ ചെയ്തു അവർ വേഗത്തിൽ (മനുഷ്യനെ) നരകത്തിലേക്ക് തള്ളിവിടുന്നു, ഹേ നൃപശ്രേഷ്ഠാ. ഇപ്രകാരം തന്നെയാണ് സ്ത്രീയെ സർവ്വഭൂതങ്ങൾക്കുള്ള മോഹിനിയായി നിർമ്മിച്ചത്.

Word by Word

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• पातयन्ति: they cause to fall, they throw
• पातयन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु) (णिच् causative: पातय)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Sambandha (adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/रीति-अव्यय (adverb)

• नरकम्: to hell
• नरकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• नृपसत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नृपाणां सत्तमः)

• मोहनम्: delusion, enchantment
• मोहनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• सर्वभूतानाम्: of all beings
• सर्वभूतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासः (सर्वाणि भूतानि)

• नारी: woman
• नारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार-अव्यय (adverb: thus)

• विनिर्मिता: was fashioned/created
• विनिर्मिता: Kriya (verbal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्मा/मा (धातु) + विनिर्मित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकालिक-कर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

Speaker

Vyāsa (didactic, cautionary framing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Yonikunda (contextual continuation)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa-sattama (best of kings)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king is addressed: a figure is shown being cast toward a dark pit; alongside, a symbolic personification of Moha/Māyā stands with a veiling gesture—more allegorical than literal—indicating enchantment that misleads beings.

Characters & Entities

• Naraka
• Mohana
• Nārī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Attachment and delusion can precipitate downfall; the teaching urges mastery of desire and steadiness in Dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly named; within Dharmāraṇya Māhātmya, the verse strengthens the moral-theological atmosphere of the sacred setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an ethical warning emphasizing self-restraint (dama) and discernment (viveka).