Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

नाश्चर्यं चित्रमेतच्च ब्रह्मचर्यं तदद्भुतम् । विशेषाद्यौवनावस्थां संप्राप्य पुरुषोत्तम

Transliteration

nāścaryaṃ citrametacca brahmacaryaṃ tadadbhutam | viśeṣādyauvanāvasthāṃ saṃprāpya puruṣottama

Translation

ഇത് യഥാർത്ഥ വിസ്മയം അല്ല. ബ്രഹ്മചര്യം—ഇന്ദ്രിയനിഗ്രഹത്തോടുകൂടിയ പവിത്രസംയമം—അതുതന്നെയാണ് അത്ഭുതം, പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് യൗവനാവസ്ഥ പ്രാപിച്ചപ്പോൾ, ഹേ പുരുഷോത്തമാ.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• आश्चर्यम्: a wonder
• आश्चर्यम्: Karma/Predicate nominal (कर्म/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• चित्रम्: strange
• चित्रम्: Pradhana-visheshana (Predicate adjective/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• ब्रह्मचर्यम्: brahmacarya; celibate discipline
• ब्रह्मचर्यम्: Karma/Predicate nominal (कर्म/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म-चर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'ब्रह्मणि चर्या' (religious celibacy/discipline)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• अद्भुतम्: marvelous
• अद्भुतम्: Pradhana-visheshana (Predicate adjective/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• विशेषात्: especially
• विशेषात्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): 'विशेषेण/विशेषतः'

• यौवनावस्थाम्: the state of youth
• यौवनावस्थाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यौवन-अवस्था (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; 'यौवनस्य अवस्था'

• संप्राप्य: having attained
• संप्राप्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): 'having attained'

• पुरुषोत्तम: O best of men
• पुरुषोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष-उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; संबोधन

Speaker

Garuḍa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Puruṣottama (Viṣṇu as addressee)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Garuḍa declares brahmacarya the true marvel, highlighting the difficulty of maintaining it in youth, addressing Puruṣottama.

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍa
• Puruṣottama (Viṣṇu)
• Brahmacarya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The greatest spiritual achievement is mastery over desire—brahmacarya—particularly when temptation is strongest.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; the teaching supports the chapter’s broader tīrtha-mahātmya by highlighting inner purity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Brahmacarya is commended as a vow/discipline, though no procedural details are given here.