Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

रहस्ये विनयोपेतः कृतांजलिपुटः स्थितः । सांब उवाच । मात्रा स्वस्रा दुहित्रा वा स्वयं स्याद्यदि मोहनम्

Transliteration

rahasye vinayopetaḥ kṛtāṃjalipuṭaḥ sthitaḥ | sāṃba uvāca | mātrā svasrā duhitrā vā svayaṃ syādyadi mohanam

Translation

ఏకాంతంలో వినయంతో చేతులు జోడించి సాంబ ఇలా అన్నాడు: 'తల్లి, సోదరి లేదా కుమార్తె పట్ల స్వయంగా మోహం కలిగితే ఏమి చేయాలి?'

Word by Word

• rahasye: in private/secretly
• rahasye: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rahasya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (loc. sg.)

• vinaya-upetaḥ: endowed with humility
• vinaya-upetaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vinaya + upeta (प्रातिपदिक; उपेत < उप-√इ (धातु) क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कृदन्त-विशेषण: ‘विनयेन उपेतः’ (endowed with humility)

• kṛta-añjali-puṭaḥ: with folded hands
• kṛta-añjali-puṭaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta (√kṛ क्त) + añjali + puṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘कृतः अञ्जलिपुटः यस्य’ (hands joined in reverence)

• sthitaḥ: stood
• sthitaḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘standing/remaining’

• sāṃbaḥ: Sāmba
• sāṃbaḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāṃba (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम (proper name)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; √वच् (to speak)

• mātrā: by the mother
• mātrā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (instr. sg.)

• svasrā: by the sister
• svasrā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svasṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (instr. sg.)

• duhitrā: by the daughter
• duhitrā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duhitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (instr. sg.)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Disjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)

• svayam: oneself
• svayam: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: oneself)

• syāt: might be
• syāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; √अस् (to be)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conditional conjunction: if)

• mohanam: delusion/infatuation
• mohanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mohana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाववाचक (delusion/infatuation)

Speaker

Sāṃba

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A subdued interior or secluded grove: Sāṃba stands with folded hands, head slightly bowed, speaking softly to a seated brāhmaṇa/ṛṣi; attendants kept at distance to preserve secrecy.

Characters & Entities

• Sāṃba

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility and honest confession before a dharma-knower is the first step toward purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse; it is part of the broader tīrtha-māhātmya narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated yet; the verse introduces the ethical question that prompts a prāyaścitta ruling.