Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

वीक्ष्यामो वदनं येन नित्यमेवेंदुसंनिभम् । कर्णाभ्यां वारिता वृद्धिर्नेत्रयोरप्यसंशयम् । नो चेज्जानीमहे नैव कियती सं भविष्यति

Transliteration

vīkṣyāmo vadanaṃ yena nityameveṃdusaṃnibham | karṇābhyāṃ vāritā vṛddhirnetrayorapyasaṃśayam | no cejjānīmahe naiva kiyatī saṃ bhaviṣyati

Translation

“เราจักเพ่งดูพระพักตร์นั้น ซึ่งปรากฏดุจจันทร์อยู่เนืองนิตย์ ด้วยหู (อันสำรวม) ความกำเริบแห่งกามย่อมถูกห้ามไว้ และด้วยตาก็เช่นกัน—มิอาจสงสัยได้ มิฉะนั้นเราไม่อาจรู้เลยว่ามันจักทวีขึ้นเพียงใด”

Word by Word

• वीक्ष्यामः: we shall see
• वीक्ष्यामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• वदनम्: face
• वदनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vadana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• येन: by which/through whom
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभूत-विशेषणवत् अव्यय (adverb: always)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-बोधक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• इन्दुसंनिभम्: moon-like
• इन्दुसंनिभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: indu (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃnibha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying vadanaṃ)

• कर्णाभ्याम्: by (our) two ears
• कर्णाभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), द्विवचन (Dual)

• वारिता: checked/prevented
• वारिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वा + ऋ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying vṛddhiḥ)

• वृद्धिः: increase/growth
• वृद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नेत्रयोः: of (our) two eyes
• नेत्रयोः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: netra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), द्विवचन (Dual)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Emphasis/Addition
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-कार (also/even)

• असंशयम्: undoubtedly
• असंशयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: a-saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभूत-विशेषणवत् अव्यय (adverb: without doubt)

• नः: our
• नः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Gen./Dat.), बहुवचन (Plural); अत्र—षष्ठी (our)

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Condition
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cet (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-प्रदर्शक अव्यय (conditional particle: if)

• जानीमहे: we know
• जानीमहे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• न: not
• न: Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-बोधक अव्यय (negation)

• एव: at all/indeed
• एव: Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-बोधक अव्यय (emphasis)

• कियती: how great/how much
• कियती: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kiyat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); प्रश्नवाचक-विशेषण (qualifying vṛddhiḥ understood)

• सा: that (increase)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (within Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya frame; specific speaker not explicit in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group speaks among themselves about a moonlike face; their eyes are fixed, ears half-turned away as if resisting further provocation, conveying inner struggle between attraction and restraint.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unrestrained sense-contact (seeing/hearing) can magnify desire; vigilance and restraint are implied as dharmic safeguards.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is part of the Tīrthamāhātmya flow in Nāgara-khaṇḍa, but no tirtha-name is explicitly stated in this shloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is prescribed in this verse; it is narrative and reflective.