Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

एकास्तं च समालोक्य रूपयौवनसंयुतम् । गवाक्षात्प्रपतंति स्म निश्चेष्टा धरणीतले

Transliteration

ekāstaṃ ca samālokya rūpayauvanasaṃyutam | gavākṣātprapataṃti sma niśceṣṭā dharaṇītale

Translation

काही स्त्रिया त्याला—रूपयौवनयुक्त—पाहून गवाक्षातून खाली कोसळल्या आणि धरणीवर निश्चेष्ट पडून राहिल्या।

Word by Word

• एकाः: some (women)
• एकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; द्वितीया, एकवचन

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

• समालोक्य: having looked at
• समालोक्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + लोक् (धातु) → समालोक्य (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: अव्ययभावे क्त्वा (Gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

• रूपयौवनसंयुतम्: endowed with beauty and youth
• रूपयौवनसंयुतम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूप + यौवन + संयुत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (रूपेण यौवनेन च संयुतम्)

• गवाक्षात्: from the window
• गवाक्षात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गवाक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचन

• प्रपतन्ति: they fall down
• प्रपतन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + पत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• स्म: indeed/then (past narrative marker)
• स्म: Sambandha (Narrative particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्म (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; भूतार्थ/अनुस्मरण-निपात (particle indicating past narration)

• निश्चेष्टाः: motionless, inert
• निश्चेष्टाः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निश्चेष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्तृविशेषण

• धरणीतले: on the ground
• धरणीतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणीतल (प्रातिपदिक: धरणी + तल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धरण्याः तलम्)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Women at upper windows (gavākṣa) see the radiant youth; overcome, they topple forward and fall, lying motionless on the ground below, while onlookers react in shock.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It warns that infatuation can cause literal and figurative downfall; Purāṇic māhātmyas often redirect such energy toward devotion and sacred practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This excerpt does not specify the tīrtha; it remains within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya chapter setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.