Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 123
Devanagari script
पृष्ठ्यावर्तो भवेद्यस्या असती सा भवेद्द्रुतम् । बहुपापसमाचारा तस्मात्तां परिवर्जयेत्
Transliteration
pṛṣṭhyāvarto bhavedyasyā asatī sā bhaveddrutam | bahupāpasamācārā tasmāttāṃ parivarjayet
Translation
ആരുടെയെങ്കിലും പൃഷ്ഠത്തിൽ ആവർത്ത-ചിഹ്നം ഉണ്ടെങ്കിൽ, അവൾ വേഗത്തിൽ അസതിയാകുകയും അനേകം പാപാചാരങ്ങളിൽ ഏർപ്പെടുകയും ചെയ്യും; അതിനാൽ അവളെ ഒഴിവാക്കണം।
Word by Word
पृष्ठ्यावर्तःa back-whorl
पृष्ठ्यावर्तः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootपृष्ठ्य-आवर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन
भवेत्would be
भवेत्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootभू (धातु)
Formलोट् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन
यस्याःof whom/whose
यस्याः:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन
असतीunchaste, wicked
असती:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootअसती (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (unchaste/wicked woman)
साshe
सा:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन
भवेत्would become
भवेत्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootभू (धातु)
Formलोट् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन
द्रुतम्quickly
द्रुतम्:
Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootद्रुतम् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; काल/शीघ्रतावाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘quickly’)
बहुपापसमाचाराof conduct full of many sins
बहुपापसमाचारा:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootबहु-पाप-समाचार (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण
तस्मात्therefore
तस्मात्:
Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्ययवत्; हेत्वर्थे (therefore)
ताम्her
ताम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन
परिवर्जयेत्should avoid
परिवर्जयेत्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootपरि-वर्ज् (धातु)
Formलोट् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन
Speaker
Unspecified (Nāgarakhaṇḍa narrative voice)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A narrator points to the back-whorl mark as an omen; the community reacts with avoidance; the maiden’s isolation and the moralizing tone dominate the scene.
FAQs
It conveys a cautionary moral: avoid alliances perceived as leading to adharma and suffering, as framed by traditional sign-reading.
No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.
None; the verse is advisory rather than ritualistic.