Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

वृद्धभावेऽपि संप्राप्ते तस्य कामोऽत्यवर्द्धत । तांबूलस्य प्रभावेन सुमहान्पृथिवीपते

Transliteration

vṛddhabhāve'pi saṃprāpte tasya kāmo'tyavarddhata | tāṃbūlasya prabhāvena sumahānpṛthivīpate

Translation

Ó senhor da terra, embora a velhice já o tivesse alcançado, sua paixão cresceu sobremaneira — tão grande era a potência do tāmbūla (betel).

Word by Word

• वृद्धभावे: in old age
• वृद्धभावे: Adhikarana (Location/Context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्ध + भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (वृद्धः भावः)

• अपि: even, although
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• संप्राप्ते: having come/occurred
• संप्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute context)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + प्र + आप् (धातु) → संप्राप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘वृद्धभावे’ इति सह सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कामः: desire, passion
• कामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अति: excessively
• अति: Upasarga (Preverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अति (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
• Form: उपसर्ग (preverb) ‘वर्ध्’ धातोः पूर्वम्

• अवर्द्धत: increased, grew
• अवर्द्धत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वर्ध् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; ‘अति’ उपसर्गेण—अत्यवर्द्धत

• ताम्बूलस्य: of the betel
• ताम्बूलस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताम्बूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रभावेन: by the power/effect
• प्रभावेन: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सुमहान्: very great
• सुमहान्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + महान् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘सु’ उपसर्गवत् अव्यय-पूर्वपद (intensifier)

• पृथिवीपते: O lord of the earth (king)
• पृथिवीपते: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पृथिव्याः पतिः)

Speaker

Narrator (within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pṛthivīpati (king) addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An elderly king, hair silvered yet eyes bright, experiences a surge of vitality after chewing tāmbūla; courtiers look on in amazement as his posture straightens and complexion glows.

Characters & Entities

• tāmbūla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unchecked sense-indulgence can intensify kāma even in old age, becoming an obstacle to dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is part of a Tīrthamāhātmya narrative in Nāgarakhaṇḍa; the immediate focus is the moral episode around tāmbūla rather than naming a single tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it describes an effect (prabhāva) rather than prescribing a rite.