Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

तद्दृष्ट्वा चेष्टितं तस्या राज्यार्हं बहुभोगधृक् । ब्राह्मणार्हैः परित्यक्तं समाचारैश्च कृत्स्नशः

Transliteration

taddṛṣṭvā ceṣṭitaṃ tasyā rājyārhaṃ bahubhogadhṛk | brāhmaṇārhaiḥ parityaktaṃ samācāraiśca kṛtsnaśaḥ

Translation

അവളുടെ പെരുമാറ്റം രാജയോഗ്യവും അനേകം ഭോഗങ്ങളാൽ നിറഞ്ഞതുമായതായി കണ്ടപ്പോൾ, ബ്രാഹ്മണോചിത ആചാരങ്ങളും സമസ്ത ശിഷ്ടാചാരനിയമങ്ങളും അവൾ പൂർണ്ണമായി ഉപേക്ഷിച്ചതായി അവൻ ഗ്രഹിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘that’ (referring to what was seen)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) = having seen

• चेष्टितम्: conduct/behavior
• चेष्टितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: √ceṣṭ (धातु) + चेष्टित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘act/behavior’

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• राज्यर्हम्: worthy of royalty
• राज्यर्हम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rājya (प्रातिपदिक) + arha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘राज्यस्य अर्हम्’ (worthy of kingship); विशेषण ‘चेष्टितम्’

• बहुभोगधृक्: bringing many enjoyments
• बहुभोगधृक्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक) + bhoga (प्रातिपदिक) + dhṛk (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √dhṛ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (विशेषण ‘चेष्टितम्’); उपपद-तत्पुरुष/कृदन्त: ‘बहून् भोगान् धरति’ (bearing many enjoyments)

• ब्राह्मणार्हैः: by Brahmin-worthy (people)
• ब्राह्मणार्हैः: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + arha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘ब्राह्मणानाम् अर्हाः’ (fit for Brahmins / Brahmin-worthy persons)

• परित्यक्तम्: abandoned
• परित्यक्तम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pari-√tyaj (धातु) + त्यक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense) qualifying ‘चेष्टितम्’

• समाचारैः: by proper customs
• समाचारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samācāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• कृत्स्नशः: entirely
• कृत्स्नशः: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kṛtsna (प्रातिपदिक) + -śas (शस्)
• Form: अव्यय (शस्-प्रत्ययान्त क्रियाविशेषण) = wholly/in entirety

Speaker

Narrator (not explicitly named in the excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A husband/observer watches the woman’s regal, pleasure-laden behavior and recognizes it as incompatible with brāhmaṇa-appropriate customs; the scene is contemplative, with moral tension rather than action.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma emphasizes integrity of conduct; abandoning one’s proper samācāra for indulgence is portrayed as a moral decline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it evaluates behavior against brāhmaṇa-appropriate norms and customs.