Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

ततः स चिन्तयामास रूपसंचयसंयुताम् । एकामप्सरसं दिव्यां देवमायां सृजाम्यहम्

Transliteration

tataḥ sa cintayāmāsa rūpasaṃcayasaṃyutām | ekāmapsarasaṃ divyāṃ devamāyāṃ sṛjāmyaham

Translation

แล้วพระองค์ทรงดำริว่า: “เราจักสร้างอัปสราเพียงหนึ่งนาง อันเป็นทิพย์ มีความงามสั่งสมดุจคลัง—คือเทวะมายาเอง”

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Discourse adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/हेतु-वाचक-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• cintayāmāsa: thought, reflected
• cintayāmāsa: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √cint (चिन्त्)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (cintayāmāsa-प्रयोग)

• rūpa-saṃcaya-saṃyutām: endowed with an accumulation of beauty
• rūpa-saṃcaya-saṃyutām: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of object/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃcaya (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃyuta (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (रूपसंचयेन संयुता)

• ekām: one (single)
• ekām: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• apsarasam: apsaras (celestial nymph)
• apsarasam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apsaras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• divyām: divine
• divyām: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• deva-māyām: Devamāyā (divine Māyā)
• deva-māyām: Karma (Object apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + māyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (देवी माया / देवसम्बन्धिनी माया)

• sṛjāmi: I create
• sṛjāmi: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sṛj (सृज्)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aham (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (narrating Brahmā’s resolve)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rūpa-tīrtha (etiological thread via Deva-māyā)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, intent and contemplative, manifests a single radiant Apsaras—Deva-māyā—whose form embodies concentrated beauty; light emanates as if beauty itself becomes a substance; the scene hints at a future descent into a sacred pool/spot.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Apsaras
• Deva-māyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even beauty and enchantment are portrayed as cosmic forces arising from divine will, later to be disciplined by dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative supports the Rūpa-tīrtha māhātmya by explaining the mythic background of ‘rūpa’ (beauty).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative setup.