Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

निद्रावशं तु संप्राप्ता विसंज्ञा समपद्यत । शक्रहस्तावमर्दोत्थपादसौख्येन निश्चला

Transliteration

nidrāvaśaṃ tu saṃprāptā visaṃjñā samapadyata | śakrahastāvamardotthapādasaukhyena niścalā

Translation

ନିଦ୍ରାବଶ ହୋଇ ସେ ଅଚେତନ ପ୍ରାୟ ହେଲେ ଓ ନିଶ୍ଚଳ ରହିଲେ; ଶକ୍ରଙ୍କ ହାତର ଦବା-ମର୍ଦ୍ଦନରୁ ତାଙ୍କ ପାଦମାନେ ସୁଖ ପାଉଥିଲେ।

Word by Word

• निद्रावशम्: the power/sway of sleep
• निद्रावशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निद्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + वश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (निद्रायाः वशः)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अन्वय-अव्यय (particle)

• संप्राप्ता: having come/attained
• संप्राप्ता: Karta-state (Predicate adjective of सा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विसंज्ञा: unconscious/senseless
• विसंज्ञा: Karta-state (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि (उपसर्ग) + संज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• समपद्यत: became/entered into
• समपद्यत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + पद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• शक्रहस्तावमर्दोत्थपादसौख्येन: by the comfort in her feet arising from Indra's hand-massage/pressing
• शक्रहस्तावमर्दोत्थपादसौख्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक) + अवमर्द (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + सौख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास (शक्रस्य हस्त-अवमर्दात् उत्थं पाद-सौख्यम्)

• निश्चला: motionless
• निश्चला: Karta-state (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निश्चल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa context; traditionally Sūta)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Diti lies unconscious, serene yet vulnerable; Indra at her feet, hands pressing/massaging, face intent and calculating; the room is dim, with moonlight and lamp glow creating sharp contrasts.

Characters & Entities

• Diti
• Indra (Śakra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer service without inner purity can become a tool of harm; dharma requires intention aligned with compassion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes a narrative circumstance enabling a later act.