Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

प्रत्यहं नूतनामन्या नारीं भोक्तुमनाः सदा । आहृताः सर्वदेशेभ्यो नार्यो भृत्यैर्मदाज्ञया

Transliteration

pratyahaṃ nūtanāmanyā nārīṃ bhoktumanāḥ sadā | āhṛtāḥ sarvadeśebhyo nāryo bhṛtyairmadājñayā

Translation

Setiap hari aku sentiasa berkeinginan untuk menikmati wanita baru yang berbeza. Atas perintahku, hamba-hambaku membawa wanita dari setiap negeri.

Word by Word

• prati-aham: every day
• prati-aham: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati (अव्यय) + ahan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण—‘प्रत्यहं’ (every day)

• nūtanām: new
• nūtanām: Viśeṣaṇa (of nārīm)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nūtana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘nārīm’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• anyā: another
• anyā: Viśeṣaṇa (of nārīm)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘nārīm’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (another)

• nārīm: woman
• nārīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• bhoktum: to enjoy
• bhoktum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhuj (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), अर्थः ‘to enjoy/consume’

• anāḥ: intending (to)
• anāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (of implied ‘aham’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक) + aṇ (प्रत्यय) / ‘manas’ आधारित बहुव्रीह्यर्थ-विशेषण; (bhoktum-anāḥ = bhoktum + anāḥ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘मनाः’ (minded/intending) — ‘भोक्तुमनाः’ = infinitive + adjective

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• āhṛtāḥ: were brought
• āhṛtāḥ: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√hṛ (धातु) + kta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि—‘were brought’

• sarva-deśebhyaḥ: from all countries/regions
• sarva-deśebhyaḥ: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + deśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), बहुवचन; ‘सर्वे देśāḥ’ इति कर्मधारयः

• nāryaḥ: women
• nāryaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• bhṛtyaiḥ: by servants
• bhṛtyaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhṛtya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• mat-ājñayā: by my command
• mat-ājñayā: Hetu/Karaṇa (Cause/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक ‘mat’) + ājñā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष—‘मम आज्ञया’

Speaker

Rākṣasa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal court scene: servants receiving orders, messengers departing in multiple directions, maps/standards indicating many regions; the king’s face shows restless craving rather than joy.

Characters & Entities

• Rākṣasa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Exploitation driven by lust and authority is a grave adharma that binds one to intense suffering and karmic retribution.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is a narrative of wrongdoing meant to warn against adharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes sinful action, not a rite.