Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तस्माद्भजस्व मां रक्तां नो चेद्यास्यामि संक्षयम् । कामबाणप्रदग्धा वै पुरोऽपि तव तापस । ततः स्त्रीवधपापेन लिप्यसे त्वं न संशयः

Transliteration

tasmādbhajasva māṃ raktāṃ no cedyāsyāmi saṃkṣayam | kāmabāṇapradagdhā vai puro'pi tava tāpasa | tataḥ strīvadhapāpena lipyase tvaṃ na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

അതിനാൽ, അനുരക്തയായ എന്നെ സ്വീകരിക്കുക, അല്ലാത്തപക്ഷം ഞാൻ നശിച്ചുപോകും. ഹേ തപസ്വീ, കാമദേവന്റെ അമ്പുകളാൽ വെന്തുരുകി അങ്ങയുടെ മുന്നിൽ വെച്ചുതന്നെ ഞാൻ മരിക്കും, അപ്പോൾ നിസ്സംശയം അങ്ങ് സ്ത്രീഹത്യാപാപത്താൽ കളങ്കപ്പെടും.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तस्मात्-प्रयोगः), हेतौ/तस्मात् = ‘therefore/from that’ (ablatival adverbial use)

• भजस्व: worship/serve (me)
• भजस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• रक्ताम्: red / blood-red (f.)
• रक्ताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्ता (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √रञ्ज्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (माम्)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निषेध-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (negation particle)

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, शर्तार्थक (conditional particle ‘if’)

• यास्यामि: I will go
• यास्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• संक्षयम्: destruction, ruin
• संक्षयम्: Gati-Karma/Phala (Goal/Result)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे नपुंसकत्वं सामान्यं), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; गत्यर्थक-क्रियायाः लक्ष्य/परिणाम

• कामबाणप्रदग्धा: burnt by the arrows of Kāma
• कामबाणप्रदग्धा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम-बाण-प्रदग्धा (प्रातिपदिक; प्रदग्धा = कृदन्त from √दह् with प्र-)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (कामस्य बाणैः प्रदग्धा)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निश्चयार्थक/खलु-अर्थे (emphatic particle)

• पुरः: before, in front
• पुरः: Desha (Location/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरस् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, स्थानवाचक (adverb ‘in front/before’)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Addition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अपि = ‘also/even’

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• तापस: O ascetic
• तापस: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तापस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Hetu/Anantarya (Sequence/Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, तस्मात्/ततः = ‘then/thereupon/from that’

• स्त्रीवधपापेन: by the sin of killing a woman
• स्त्रीवधपापेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री-वध-पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (स्त्रियाः वधः → स्त्रीवधः; स्त्रीवधस्य पापम्)

• लिप्यसे: you become tainted
• लिप्यसे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• न: no/not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निषेध-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Pratijna (Assertion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; ‘न संशयः’ = नास्ति संशयः

Speaker

Menakā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A passionate woman confronts a forest-dwelling ascetic, pleading with urgency; the ascetic stands composed, holding a kamaṇḍalu and staff, while the atmosphere suggests a moral trial.

Characters & Entities

• Menakā
• tāpasa (ascetic)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is tested not only by desire but by fear and coercion; the righteous must discern manipulation and uphold vows without harming others.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse assumes a tīrtha setting in the chapter, but does not name the site explicitly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse discusses pāpa (sin) implications—especially strīvadhapāpa—rather than a specific rite.