Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

या काचिल्लौल्यमास्थाय निष्क्रमिष्यति मोहतः । सा दिव्यभावनिर्मुक्ता शृगाली संभविष्यति

Transliteration

yā kācillaulyamāsthāya niṣkramiṣyati mohataḥ | sā divyabhāvanirmuktā śṛgālī saṃbhaviṣyati

Translation

ഏതെങ്കിലും സ്ത്രീ ചാഞ്ചല്യത്തിന് അടിമയായി മോഹത്തോടെ പുറത്തേക്ക് പോയാൽ, അവൾ ദിവ്യഭാവത്തിൽ നിന്ന് വിച്ഛിന്നയായി ശൃഗാലി (പെൺനരി)യായി ജനിക്കും।

Word by Word

• या: she who
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-यः/या (relative pronoun)

• काचित्: some (woman)
• काचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-प्रत्यययुक्त (indefinite pronoun)

• लौल्यम्: restlessness/greed
• लौल्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लौल्यम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• आस्थाय: having taken up
• आस्थाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + √स्था (स्था; धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा; absolutive/gerund), ‘having resorted to/assuming’

• निष्क्रमिष्यति: will go out
• निष्क्रमिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निस् + √क्रम् (क्रम्; धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मोहातः: out of delusion
• मोहातः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (ablative of cause)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दिव्यभावनिर्मुक्ता: freed from divine nature
• दिव्यभावनिर्मुक्ता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + भाव (प्रातिपदिक) + निर्मुक्त (नि + √मुच्; क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘दिव्यभावात् निर्मुक्ता’ (freed from divine state)

• शृगाली: a female jackal
• शृगाली: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृगाली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• संभविष्यति: will become
• संभविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √भू (भू; धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Ambā (Devī/Mother Goddess)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cautionary tableau: a woman at the cave threshold, turning away in confusion; the sacred glow recedes; in the background, a shadowy she-jackal form symbolizes karmic fall; attendants gesture warningly.

Characters & Entities

• Ambā (Devī)
• śṛgālī (jackal)
• guhā (implied cave precinct)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Instability and delusion that abandon sacred duty lead to spiritual downfall; steadiness in devotion safeguards divine-mindedness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same cave-tīrtha where the Devī’s pādukā is established; leaving its sanctified boundary is discouraged.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A behavioral injunction: do not leave the sacred precinct out of restlessness; maintain devotional discipline.