Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

न स्मरामि त्वया प्रोक्तं कदाचिद्वि कृतं वचः । रहस्यपि विशालाक्षि किमु भोजनसंसदि

Transliteration

na smarāmi tvayā proktaṃ kadācidvi kṛtaṃ vacaḥ | rahasyapi viśālākṣi kimu bhojanasaṃsadi

Translation

“നീ ഒരിക്കലും കടുപ്പമോ അനുപയോഗമോ ആയ വാക്ക് പറഞ്ഞതായി എനിക്ക് ഓർമ്മയില്ല. ഹേ വിശാലനേത്രയേ, രഹസ്യത്തിലുപോലും അല്ല; പിന്നെ ഭോജനസഭയിൽ എങ്ങനെ?”

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• स्मरामि: I remember
• स्मरामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार; परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

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

• प्रोक्तम्: spoken
• प्रोक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘वचः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• कदाचित्: ever
• कदाचित्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनिश्चित-कालवाचक (indefinite temporal adverb)

• वि: apart/especially (as prefix)
• वि: Upasarga (Preverb/उपसर्ग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गार्थक (preverb/particle), ‘विशेषेण’

• कृतम्: done; made
• कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘वचः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण — ‘done/made (harsh)’

• वचः: word/speech
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• रहसि: in private
• रहसि: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रहस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-कार (particle: ‘even/also’)

• विशाल-अक्षि: O large-eyed one
• विशाल-अक्षि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाल (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘large-eyed’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• किमु: how much more then
• किमु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् + उ (अव्यय-निपात)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्न/अधिक्यसूचक निपात (‘how much more/what then’)

• भोजन-संसदि: in the dining hall/assembly
• भोजन-संसदि: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक) + संसद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘in the dining assembly’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचन

Speaker

Anarta-adhipati (the king; husband of Damayantī, lamenting)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king speaks softly through tears, recalling the queen’s calm, dignified presence in both private chambers and public dining assemblies.

Characters & Entities

• Damayantī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right speech is dharma: purity of words in private and public is presented as a hallmark of virtue.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within the Śrīhāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya context, though it praises conduct rather than the site directly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the emphasis is on ethical discipline (sad-vṛtta) in speech.