Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

अथ तासां परिज्ञाय तक्षकः स विचेष्टितम् । वाञ्छञ्छापस्य पर्यंतं तत्पार्श्वाद्भयसंयुतः

Transliteration

atha tāsāṃ parijñāya takṣakaḥ sa viceṣṭitam | vāñchañchāpasya paryaṃtaṃ tatpārśvādbhayasaṃyutaḥ

Translation

ครั้นรู้เจตนาและความปั่นป่วนของนางทั้งหลาย ทักษกะก็สะท้านด้วยความกลัว; แสวงหาขอบเขตแห่งคำสาปให้สิ้นสุด แล้วถอยไปอยู่เคียงนางเพื่อขอความคุ้มครอง

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle)

• तासाम्: of those (women)
• तासाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), बहुवचनम्

• परिज्ञाय: having understood
• परिज्ञाय: Kriya (Adverbial action/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Absolutive/Gerund); ‘having ascertained/understood’

• तक्षकः: Takṣaka
• तक्षकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तक्षक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

• सः: he
• सः: Anuvartaka (Correlative pronoun/अनुवर्तक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

• विचेष्टितम्: the action/behavior
• विचेष्टितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि-चेष्ट् (धातु) → विचेष्टित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्; भावे/कर्मणि कृदन्तः (act/behavior)

• वाञ्छन्: desiring
• वाञ्छन्: Karta (Agent as participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वाञ्छ् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्तः (Present active participle); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• शापस्य: of the curse
• शापस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्

• पर्यन्तम्: up to the limit/end
• पर्यन्तम्: Karma (Extent/कर्म-परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्यन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्; ‘पर्यन्तम्’ = ‘अवधिम्’ (up to the limit)

• तत्पार्श्वात्: from her/his side
• तत्पार्श्वात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + पार्श्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative/5th), एकवचनम्; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तस्य पार्श्वात्)

• भयसंयुतः: filled with fear
• भयसंयुतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √युज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (भयेन संयुतः = endowed with fear)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Takṣaka, alarmed, recoils from the approaching angry wives and moves close to the woman, posture lowered, eyes wide, seeking shelter beside her.

Characters & Entities

• Takṣaka
• curse (śāpa)
• wives of Takṣaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the powerful become vulnerable under adharma; seeking a righteous resolution to a curse is superior to retaliation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to the Kedārāyatana context in this Tīrthamāhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed in this verse; it anticipates a curse-ending through sacred-place influence.