Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

पुनश्च रुचिरं हास्यं कृत्वा तेन समं बहु । अथासावभवत्कुष्ठी तत्क्षणादेव गर्हितः

Transliteration

punaśca ruciraṃ hāsyaṃ kṛtvā tena samaṃ bahu | athāsāvabhavatkuṣṭhī tatkṣaṇādeva garhitaḥ

Translation

വീണ്ടും അവനോടൊപ്പം ഏറെ മനോഹരമായ ഹാസ്യവിനോദം ചെയ്ത ശേഷം, അവൻ അതേ ക്ഷണത്തിൽ കുഷ്ഠരോഗബാധിതനായി നിന്ദ്യനായി.

Word by Word

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्ति-वाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात

• रुचिरम्: pleasant
• रुचिरम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुचिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• हास्यम्: laughter/joke
• हास्यम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Kriyā (पूर्वक्रिया/Absolutive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव), ‘having done/made’

• तेन: with him
• तेन: Sahakāraka (Associate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समम्: together
• समम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (adverbial ‘together/equally’)

• बहु: much/a lot
• बहु: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (quantifier adverb)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then)

• असौ: that man/he
• असौ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कुष्ठी: a leper
• कुष्ठी: Karta-predicative (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुष्ठिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्क्षणात्: from that very moment
• तत्क्षणात्: Kāla/Apādāna (Time—immediate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तस्मिन् क्षणे/तत् क्षणः (तत्पुरुष)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात

• गर्हितः: was reviled
• गर्हितः: Kriyā (Predicate—state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘reviled/condemned’

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhāgīrathī (contextual)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mid-laughter, the man’s skin erupts into leprous marks; companions recoil; the atmosphere turns from jest to horror and condemnation.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma can ripen suddenly; Purāṇic storytelling stresses that wrongdoing—especially tied to oaths and deceit—can yield immediate visible suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The larger episode remains anchored in the Bhāgīrathī/tīrtha context of Adhyāya 58, though this verse highlights the consequence rather than the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it describes the instant karmic result (kuṣṭha) following the earlier unethical acts.