Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

विवस्त्रं स्नानसक्तानां दिवामैथुनगामिनाम् । यत्पापं तेन लिप्येऽहं नागच्छामि पुनर्यदि

Transliteration

vivastraṃ snānasaktānāṃ divāmaithunagāminām | yatpāpaṃ tena lipye'haṃ nāgacchāmi punaryadi

Translation

निर्वस्त्र स्नानाला आसक्त असणाऱ्यांचे जे पाप आणि दिवसा मैथुन करणाऱ्यांचे जे पाप—मी पुन्हा परत आलो नाही तर त्या पापानेच मी लिप्त होवो।

Word by Word

• विवस्त्रम्: naked/without clothing
• विवस्त्रम्: Visheshana (Adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि (उपसर्ग) + वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (predicate/attributive: ‘without clothes’)

• स्नानसक्तानाम्: of those attached to bathing
• स्नानसक्तानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + सक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; सञ्ज् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural); सप्तमी/तत्पुरुष-भाव (स्नाने सक्ताः)

• दिवा: by day
• दिवा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिवा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: by day)

• मैथुनगामिनाम्: of those who go to sexual intercourse
• मैथुनगामिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैथुन (प्रातिपदिक) + गामिन् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; गम् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural); उपपद-तत्पुरुष (मैथुनं गच्छन्ति)

• यत्: whatever/that which
• यत्: Visheshana (Correlative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्धक (relative)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तेन: by that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• लिप्ये: I am tainted
• लिप्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-भाव (passive sense)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• आगच्छामि: I come
• आगच्छामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: again)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle: if)

Speaker

Nandinī

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vyāghra (tiger)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nandinī continues her oath, naming specific conduct-faults (improper naked bathing; daytime intercourse) as the sin she would incur if she fails to return; the scene remains a still moral courtroom in the forest.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma links sacred life to restraint and propriety; vows are reinforced by recalling grave moral lapses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as part of a tīrtha-māhātmya narrative framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Indirectly, it cautions against improper conduct around bathing and sensuality; no positive ritual is detailed.