Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21
Devanagari script
निश्चला कामतप्तांगी लिखितेव विभाब्यते । काचिदग्निसमान्मुक्त्वा निश्वासान्कामपीडिता
Transliteration
niścalā kāmataptāṃgī likhiteva vibhābyate | kācidagnisamānmuktvā niśvāsānkāmapīḍitā
Translation
สตรีผู้หนึ่งกายถูกตัณหาแผดเผา ยืนนิ่งดุจภาพเขียน; อีกผู้หนึ่งถูกกามทรมาน ปล่อยลมหายใจร้อนแรงดั่งเปลวไฟ
Word by Word
निश्चलाmotionless
निश्चला:
Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootनिश्चल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषण
कामतप्ताङ्गीwith limbs scorched by desire
कामतप्ताङ्गी:
Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootकाम + तप्त + अङ्गी (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (कामेन तप्ता अङ्गी यस्याः)
लिखिताdrawn/painted
लिखिता:
Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootलिख् (धातु) → लिखित (कृदन्त)
Formभूतकृदन्त (क्त); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपमान-विशेषण
इवas if
इव:
Sambandha (Comparison marker/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; उपमा-निपात (comparative particle)
विभाव्यतेappears, seems
विभाव्यते:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवि + भू (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present); आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (appears/seems)
काचित्a certain woman
काचित्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन
अग्निसमान्like fire
अग्निसमान्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootअग्नि + समान (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, बहुवचन; समासः तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (अग्निना समानाः)
मुक्त्वाhaving released
मुक्त्वा:
Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
TypeVerb
Rootमुच् (धातु) → मुक्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
Formअव्ययभावे क्त्वा (Gerund); पूर्वक्रिया
निश्वासान्sighs, breaths
निश्वासान्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootनिश्वास (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, बहुवचन
कामपीडिताtormented by desire
कामपीडिता:
Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootकाम + पीडित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
Formभूतकृदन्त (क्त) 'पीडित'; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (कामेन पीडिता)
Speaker
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)
Tirtha Mahatmya
Type: kshetra
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A woman stands motionless, as if painted, her limbs tense; another exhales as though breathing fire, eyes half-closed, cheeks flushed—desire depicted as heat and stasis.
FAQs
It dramatizes desire’s power to immobilize and burn the mind-body complex, implicitly commending self-control and sacred discipline.
Not named in this verse; it belongs to a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter of Nāgarakhaṇḍa.
None.