Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

समुद्रमटवीं युद्धं विशंते लोभमोहिताः । इह तन्नास्ति लोभेन यत्र कुर्वंति मानवाः

Transliteration

samudramaṭavīṃ yuddhaṃ viśaṃte lobhamohitāḥ | iha tannāsti lobhena yatra kurvaṃti mānavāḥ

Translation

Diperdaya oleh ketamakan, manusia terjun ke rimba laksana lautan dan ke medan perang. Di dunia ini, tiada perbuatan manusia yang tidak didorong oleh ketamakan.

Word by Word

• समुद्रमटवीम्: the sea-forest / oceanic wilderness
• समुद्रमटवीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्र + मटवी (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (समुद्रस्य मटवी = sea-like forest/forest by the sea); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन (accusative singular)

• युद्धम्: battle, war
• युद्धम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (accusative singular)

• विशन्ते: they enter
• विशन्ते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + शम्/विश् (धातु: विश् प्रवेशने)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (pl.)

• लोभमोहिताः: deluded by greed
• लोभमोहिताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोभ + मोहित (मुह् धातु → मोहित कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (लोभेन मोहिताः = deluded by greed); भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (nom. pl.)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: here)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (nom. sg.)

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

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• लोभेन: by/with greed
• लोभेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन (instrumental singular)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध/स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• कुर्वन्ति: they do
• कुर्वन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• मानवाः: men, humans
• मानवाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (nominative plural)

Speaker

Nandinī (the cow, speaking to her calf)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cautionary tableau: figures, eyes clouded by desire, rush toward a dark forest that resembles an ocean; in the distance, battle standards rise—showing greed’s pull into conflict.

Characters & Entities

• Nandinī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Greed (lobha) clouds discernment and becomes the hidden cause of danger, conflict, and sinful action; restraint is a core purāṇic dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse functions as ethical instruction within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative; the snippet does not name a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is prescribed here; the emphasis is on inner discipline—freedom from greed.