Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

आशापाशैः परीतांगा ये भवन्ति नरो र्दिताः । ते रात्रौ शेरते नैव तदप्राप्तिविचिन्तया

Transliteration

āśāpāśaiḥ parītāṃgā ye bhavanti naro rditāḥ | te rātrau śerate naiva tadaprāptivicintayā

Translation

มนุษย์ผู้มีอวัยวะถูกคล้องรัดรอบด้านด้วยบ่วงแห่งความหวัง อันทุกข์ระทม ย่อมไม่หลับในราตรี เพราะถูกเผาผลาญด้วยความคิดว่ามิได้บรรลุสิ่งที่ใฝ่หา

Word by Word

• आशापाशैः: by the bonds of desire/hope
• आशापाशैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आशा (प्रातिपदिक) + पाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (आशायाः पाशाः); पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental), बहुवचनम्

• परीताङ्गाः: whose limbs are enveloped (surrounded)
• परीताङ्गाः: Karta-visheshana (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि + इ (धातु) → परीत (कृदन्त) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समासः (परीतानि अङ्गानि येषाम्); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (नराः)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; सम्बन्धबोधक-सर्वनाम

• भवन्ति: become/are
• भवन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्

• नराः: men, people
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• अर्दिताः: afflicted, tormented
• अर्दिताः: Karta-visheshana (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्द् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः; पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (नराः)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• शेरते: lie down, sleep
• शेरते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शी (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्ययम् (negation particle)

• एव: indeed, at all
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अवधारणार्थक-निपातः (emphatic particle)

• तदप्राप्तिविचिन्तया: due to anxiety about not obtaining that
• तदप्राप्तिविचिन्तया: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम) + अप्राप्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + विचिन्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तस्य अप्राप्तेः विचिन्ता); स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental), एकवचनम्; हेतौ (because of)

Speaker

Atithi (inferred from narrative flow of Piṅgalopākhyāna)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A restless man sits awake at night, eyes wide with worry; faint rope-like motifs encircle his limbs symbolizing ‘āśā-pāśa’; the moon watches over a quiet tīrtha landscape.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Attachment to outcomes creates bondage and anxiety; peace begins with loosening the grip of craving and expectation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching appears within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya context of the Nāgara-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is stated; the focus is ethical-psychological: overcoming desire-driven distress.