Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

अथापश्यद्वने तस्मि न्परिपक्वफलानि सः । प्रणयात्प्रतिजग्राह मत्वा भ्रातुर्नृपाऽश्रमम्

Transliteration

athāpaśyadvane tasmi nparipakvaphalāni saḥ | praṇayātpratijagrāha matvā bhrāturnṛpā'śramam

Translation

แล้วในป่านั้นเขาเห็นผลไม้สุกงอม ด้วยความรักใคร่คุ้นเคยจึงหยิบเอาไว้ คิดว่า “นี่คืออาศรมอันสมบูรณ์ของพี่ชายเรา”

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse connector (अन्वय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनुक्रमसूचक

• अपश्यत्: saw
• अपश्यत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तस्मिन्: there/in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘in that (place)’

• परिपक्वफलानि: ripe fruits
• परिपक्वफलानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिपक्व + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: परिपक्वानि फलानि (कर्मधारय); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• प्रणयात्: out of affection
• प्रणयात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे ‘out of affection’

• प्रतिजग्राह: accepted/took
• प्रतिजग्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• मत्वा: having thought
• मत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Absolutive/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मन् (धातु) → मत्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-रूप कृदन्त (क्त्वान्त), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया ‘having thought/considered’

• भ्रातुः: of (his) brother
• भ्रातुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• आश्रमम्: the hermitage
• आश्रमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration within Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Likhitāśrama-vana (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a fruit-laden grove near the hermitage, Śaṅkha reaches for ripe fruits, his face showing affectionate ease rather than malice—an ordinary act turning into a moral fault.

Characters & Entities

• Likhita
• Śaṅkha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even actions done in affection can become adharma if they violate rightful ownership and restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is within a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter, but this line itself does not name the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the focus is on conduct (ācāra) and moral discernment.