Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

तदा मद्यं परिज्ञाय पात्रं त्यक्त्वा सुदुःखितः । वैराग्यं परमं गत्वा प्रलापानकरो द्बहून्

Transliteration

tadā madyaṃ parijñāya pātraṃ tyaktvā suduḥkhitaḥ | vairāgyaṃ paramaṃ gatvā pralāpānakaro dbahūn

Translation

അത് മദ്യമാണെന്ന് തിരിച്ചറിഞ്ഞ ഉടൻ അവൻ പാത്രം ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച് അത്യന്തം ദുഃഖിതനായി. പരമവൈരാഗ്യം പ്രാപിച്ച് അനേകം വിലാപങ്ങൾ ഉച്ചരിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• तदा: then
• तदा: अधिकरण (कालाधिकरण / time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: 'then')

• मद्यम्: liquor, wine
• मद्यम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• परिज्ञाय: having recognized
• परिज्ञाय: क्रियाविशेषण (पूर्वकाल / prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि+ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), परस्मैपदी; अर्थः—'ज्ञात्वा' (having understood/recognized)

• पात्रम्: vessel, cup
• पात्रम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: क्रियाविशेषण (पूर्वकाल / prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive) (having abandoned)

• सुदुःखितः: very sorrowful
• सुदुःखितः: कर्ता-विशेषण (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु+दुःखित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative, Singular; predicate adjective)

• वैराग्यम्: dispassion, renunciation
• वैराग्यम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैराग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• परमम्: supreme, highest
• परमम्: कर्म-विशेषण (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• गत्वा: having attained
• गत्वा: क्रियाविशेषण (पूर्वकाल / prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive) (having gone/attained)

• प्रलापान्: lamentations, incoherent talk
• प्रलापान्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रलाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Plural)

• अकरोत्: did, uttered
• अकरोत्: क्रिया (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदी (3rd person singular, past)

• बहून्: many
• बहून्: कर्म-विशेषण (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Accusative, Plural)

Speaker

Narrator (deduced: Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa-like purāṇic narrator in Māhātmya narrative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A remorse-stricken pilgrim drops a cup upon realizing it contains liquor; his face shows anguish and sudden detachment, with dawn-light hinting at impending purification.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Recognition of wrongdoing should mature into vairāgya and a sincere resolve to purify oneself, not mere despair.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly preparatory; the ensuing verses direct him to Śaṃkhatīrtha for purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not yet; the verse depicts remorse that motivates prāyaścitta.