Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

का त्वमत्र विशालाक्षि प्राप्ता स्नातुं जलाशये । मम नाशाय चार्वंगि तस्माच्छृणु वचो मम

Transliteration

kā tvamatra viśālākṣi prāptā snātuṃ jalāśaye | mama nāśāya cārvaṃgi tasmācchṛṇu vaco mama

Translation

ഹേ വിശാലാക്ഷി! നീ ആരാണ്, ഇവിടെ ഈ ജലാശയത്തിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്യാൻ വന്നത്? ഹേ സുന്ദരാംഗിനി! നീ എന്റെ നാശഹേതുവായതിനാൽ, അതുകൊണ്ട് എന്റെ വചനം കേൾക്കുക।

Word by Word

• का: who (fem.)
• का: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम (2nd person pronoun), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• विशालाक्षि: O large-eyed one
• विशालाक्षि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाल + अक्षि (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; विशेषणपूर्वक-नाम (address)

• प्राप्ता: having come / arrived
• प्राप्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि-प्रयोगे ‘आगता’ इत्यर्थः

• स्नातुम्: to bathe
• स्नातुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), क्रियार्थक; ‘स्नानं कर्तुम्’

• जलाशये: in the lake/pond
• जलाशये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल + आशय (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे पुंलिङ्गः सामान्यः), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘जले आशयः’

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम (1st person pronoun), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• नाशाय: for (my) destruction
• नाशाय: Sampradana (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजन/हेतु-अर्थे

• च: and
• च: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• अर्वङ्गि: O fair-limbed one
• अर्वङ्गि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरु + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘सुन्दराङ्गि’ इत्यर्थः (address)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (अव्यय/तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/तस्मात्-निपात (therefore)

• शृणु: hear / listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• वचः: words
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Kāmadeva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a sacred pond’s edge, a radiant wide-eyed woman prepares to bathe; Kāma confronts her, half-pleading and half-accusing, in a charged, twilight atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Kāmadeva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It dramatizes how desire can overwhelm and compel speech and pursuit—serving as a caution within a sacred-place narrative to uphold self-control.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A jalāśaya (sacred pond) is referenced, but the specific tīrtha name is not provided in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) in the jalāśaya is mentioned as the woman’s stated purpose.