Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

अज्ञानाज्ज्ञानतो वापि प्रक्रीडंत्या त्वया सह । प्रणयाद्बाल्यभावाच्च क्रोधाद्वाथ महेर्ष्यया

Transliteration

ajñānājjñānato vāpi prakrīḍaṃtyā tvayā saha | praṇayādbālyabhāvācca krodhādvātha maherṣyayā

Translation

अज्ञानात् ज्ञानतो वापि त्वया सह क्रीडमानया । प्रणयाद् बाल्यभावाच्च क्रोधाद्वा महेर्ष्यया ॥

Word by Word

• अज्ञानात्: from ignorance
• अज्ञानात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन; Ablative singular (from)

• ज्ञानतः: from knowledge/knowingly
• ज्ञानतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Ablative singular (from knowledge)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थक-निपात (particle: also/even)

• प्रक्रीडन्त्या: while playing
• प्रक्रीडन्त्या: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + क्रीड् (धातु) → प्रक्रीडन्ती (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/शतृ-प्रत्यय), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Present active participle, instrumental singular (while playing)

• त्वया: with you
• त्वया: Saha (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-परस्मैपद? (pronoun), तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 2nd person pronoun, instrumental singular (by/with you)

• सह: together with
• सह: Sambandha (Association marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable governing instrumental)

• प्रणयात्: from affection
• प्रणयात्: Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Ablative singular (out of affection)

• बाल्यभावात्: from childishness
• बाल्यभावात्: Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल्य + भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (बाल्यस्य भावः); Ablative singular (due to childishness)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• क्रोधात्: from anger
• क्रोधात्: Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Ablative singular (from anger)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (or)

• अथ: then/else
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/and then)

• महेर्ष्यया: by great jealousy
• महेर्ष्यया: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + ईर्ष्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (महती ईर्ष्या); Instrumental singular (through great jealousy)

Speaker

Śuddhaka’s daughter (continuing apology, within Sūta’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nīlā

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A close, intimate moment: one person speaks a layered apology, listing motives—ignorance, play, affection, childishness, anger, envy—while the other listens, the air heavy with impending consequence.

Characters & Entities

• the daughter
• the friend (addressed as tvam)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires examining the roots of harm—ignorance, anger, envy—and consciously turning toward restraint and reconciliation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse; it provides ethical introspection within the chapter’s tīrtha-māhātmya storyline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a moral catalog of motivations leading to wrongdoing.