Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

धर्षयित्वा गुरोः पत्नीं कन्यां वा निजवंशजाम् । नीचां वा व्रतयुक्तां वा कामासक्तेन चेतसा

Transliteration

dharṣayitvā guroḥ patnīṃ kanyāṃ vā nijavaṃśajām | nīcāṃ vā vratayuktāṃ vā kāmāsaktena cetasā

Translation

കാമാസക്തമായ മനസ്സോടെ ആരെങ്കിലും ഗുരുപത്നിയെ, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ സ്വന്തം വംശത്തിലെ കന്യയെ, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ നീചജാതിയിലെ സ്ത്രീയെ, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ വ്രതനിഷ്ഠയായ സ്ത്രീയെ പോലും ലംഘിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ടെങ്കിൽ—

Word by Word

• धर्षयित्वा: having violated/assaulted
• धर्षयित्वा: Purvakala-Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृष्/धर्ष् (धातु) + णिच् (causative) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: णिजन्त-क्त्वान्त अव्यय-भाव (causative gerund): ‘having violated/assaulted’

• गुरोः: of the teacher
• गुरोः: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• पत्नीम्: wife
• पत्नीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• कन्याम्: a maiden/daughter
• कन्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)

• निजवंशजाम्: born in one’s own family line
• निजवंशजाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक) + वंश (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: निजस्य वंशस्य जा (born in one’s own lineage); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण (कन्याम्)

• नीचाम्: low-born
• नीचाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नीच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण (पत्नीम्/कन्याम्)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (or)

• व्रतयुक्ताम्: observing a vow
• व्रतयुक्ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: व्रतेन युक्ता; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (or)

• कामासक्तेन: with lust-attached
• कामासक्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + आसक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: कामे आसक्तः; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; विशेषण (चेतसा)

• चेतसा: with the mind
• चेतसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (continuation; part of the sin-context leading to remedy)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Citrapīṭha / Citreśvara (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral warning tableau: a figure shadowed by desire (kāma) approaching forbidden relations, contrasted with a distant luminous shrine of Citreśvara offering a path of repentance and purification.

Characters & Entities

• Guru
• Vrata
• Kāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Uncontrolled desire leads to grave adharmic acts; the Purāṇas highlight restraint and accountability as foundations of spiritual life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse lists transgressions as context; the associated remedy is given in nearby verses connected to Citreśvara at Citrapīṭha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly in this verse; it prepares the ground for prescribed worship/prāyaścitta in the following shlokas.