Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

साध्वीः पत्नीर्द्विजेंद्राणामकामाः कामयाम्यहम् । पापमेतत्कर्म चोग्रं नश्यामि तृमवत्स्फुटम्

Transliteration

sādhvīḥ patnīrdvijeṃdrāṇāmakāmāḥ kāmayāmyaham | pāpametatkarma cograṃ naśyāmi tṛmavatsphuṭam

Translation

“ଦ୍ୱିଜେନ୍ଦ୍ରମାନଙ୍କ ସାଧ୍ୱୀ ପତ୍ନୀମାନେ ମୋତେ କାମନା କରୁନାହାନ୍ତି, ତଥାପି ମୁଁ ସେମାନଙ୍କୁ କାମନା କରୁଛି। ଏହା ପାପମୟ ଓ ଉଗ୍ର କର୍ମ; ମୁଁ ତୃଣ ପରି ସମ୍ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ନଶିଯିବି।”

Word by Word

• sādhvīḥ: virtuous (women)
• sādhvīḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sādhvī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; patnīḥ-विशेषण

• patnīḥ: wives
• patnīḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: patnī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• dvija-indrāṇām: of the best of Brahmins
• dvija-indrāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः: द्विजानाम् इन्द्राः), पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• akāmāḥ: unwilling; without desire (for me)
• akāmāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (नञ्) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नञ्-समास/नञ्-पूर्वपद, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; sādhvīḥ patnīḥ-विशेषण

• kāmayāmi: I desire
• kāmayāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kam (धातु) (काङ्क्षायाम्/कामे)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aham (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• pāpam: sin; evil
• pāpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; predicate noun

• etat: this
• etat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; pāpam-विशेषण

• karma: act; deed
• karma: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ugram: terrible; fierce
• ugram: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ugra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; karma-विशेषण

• naśyāmi: I perish; I will be ruined
• naśyāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: naś (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• tṛṇa-vat: like grass
• tṛṇa-vat: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tṛṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
• Form: वत्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (simile adverb)

• sphuṭam: clearly; certainly; outright
• sphuṭam: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sphuṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Agni (internal reflection rendered by the narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Saptaṛṣi-āśrama (Himalayan)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agni stands apart from the hermitage, flames dimmed, head slightly bowed. His face shows shame and fear as he speaks a confession about desiring the sages’ chaste wives; the women remain distant, serene, untouched—emblems of pativratā purity.

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Dvijendras (great brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire that violates dharma—especially toward the spouses of the virtuous—leads to moral and spiritual ruin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is named in this verse; the focus is on dharma and the gravity of transgression.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse is a confession of wrongdoing and fear of karmic consequence.