Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

अपरं मर्त्यलोकेऽत्र यद्यागच्छसि वासव । पूजाकृते ततो मूर्धा शतधा ते भविष्यति

Transliteration

aparaṃ martyaloke'tra yadyāgacchasi vāsava | pūjākṛte tato mūrdhā śatadhā te bhaviṣyati

Translation

‘ยิ่งกว่านั้น โอ้วาสวะ หากเจ้ากลับมายังโลกมนุษย์นี้อีก ครั้นเข้าใกล้เพื่อประกอบบูชา ศีรษะของเจ้าจักแตกออกเป็นร้อยส่วน’

Word by Word

• अपरम्: another (thing), further
• अपरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; ‘another/further (thing)’

• मर्त्यलोके: in the mortal world
• मर्त्यलोके: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य-लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Condition marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तबोधक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• आगच्छसि: you come
• आगच्छसि: Kriyā (Verb of condition)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वासव: O Vāsava (Indra)
• वासव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• पूजाकृते: for worship
• पूजाकृते: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा-कृत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी/चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र प्रयोजनार्थे (for the sake of worship) चतुर्थी-अर्थे

• ततः: then, thereupon
• ततः: Result marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय/तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-अर्थे अव्यय (thereupon/therefore)

• मूर्धा: head
• मूर्धा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शतधा: into a hundred (parts), a hundredfold
• शतधा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शतधा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; एन्क्लिटिक

• भविष्यति: will become
• भविष्यति: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Gautama Ṛṣi

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājan)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gautama adds a final restriction: if Indra returns to the human realm and comes for worship, his head will split—an image of sacred power repelling impurity.

Characters & Entities

• Gautama
• Vāsava (Indra)
• Martyaloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worship requires inner fitness and moral purity; hypocrisy or tainted intention turns sacred acts into further downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse references ‘here’ in the narrative setting, but does not name the tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It alludes to ‘pūjā’ (worship) but gives no procedural prescription; it functions as a warning embedded in the curse.