Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

एतच्च तव वीर्यं तु पतितं वेदिमध्यगम् । कामार्तस्य मया दृष्टं नैतद्व्यर्थं भविष्यति

Transliteration

etacca tava vīryaṃ tu patitaṃ vedimadhyagam | kāmārtasya mayā dṛṣṭaṃ naitadvyarthaṃ bhaviṣyati

Translation

നിന്റെ ഈ വീര്യം വേദിയുടെ മദ്ധ്യത്തിൽ പതിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു. കാമാർത്തനായിരുന്നപ്പോൾ ഞാൻ അത് കണ്ടു; ഇത് വ്യർത്ഥമാകുകയില്ല.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

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

• वीर्यम्: semen/virility
• वीर्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• पतितम्: fallen
• पतितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु) → पतित (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘fallen’

• वेदिमध्यगम्: gone into the middle of the altar
• वेदिमध्यगम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेदी + मध्य + ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (वेदिमध्ये गतम्)

• कामार्तस्य: of one afflicted by desire
• कामार्तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम + आर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कामेन आर्तः)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दृष्टम्: seen
• दृष्टम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘seen’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• व्यर्थम्: futile/in vain
• व्यर्थम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator/authority voice within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇa (addressed as 'tava')

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A close view of the altar’s center where the fallen seed is indicated symbolically (not explicit), while a seer declares it will bear purposeful fruit; the brāhmaṇa appears conflicted between shame and awe.

Characters & Entities

• Vedi (altar)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a morally troubled moment can be redirected by divine order into a meaningful outcome within the sacred-ritual sphere.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse highlights a ritual locus (the vedi/altar) rather than naming a geographic tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No prescription; it situates the event within a sacrificial/altar context (vedimadhya).