Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

अन्यस्मिन्दिवसे शस्त्रं सूक्ष्मं वेण्यां निधाय सा । जगाम शयनं तस्य वधार्थं वरवर्णिनी

Transliteration

anyasmindivase śastraṃ sūkṣmaṃ veṇyāṃ nidhāya sā | jagāma śayanaṃ tasya vadhārthaṃ varavarṇinī

Translation

ในวันหนึ่ง หญิงงามผู้นั้นได้ซ่อนอาวุธขนาดเล็กไว้ในมวยผมของนาง และไปยังที่บรรทมของพระราชาด้วยเจตนาที่จะปลงพระชนม์

Word by Word

• अन्यस्मिन्: on another
• अन्यस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• दिवसे: day
• दिवसे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• शस्त्रम्: weapon
• शस्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• सूक्ष्मम्: small/subtle
• सूक्ष्मम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूक्ष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (शस्त्रस्य)

• वेण्याम्: in (her) braid
• वेण्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• निधाय: having placed
• निधाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• जगाम: went
• जगाम: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• शयनम्: to the bed
• शयनम्: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वधार्थम्: for killing
• वधार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक); वधार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे (वधाय अर्थः/वधस्य अर्थः) = ‘for killing’ (purpose)

• वरवर्णिनी: the beautiful-complexioned woman
• वरवर्णिनी: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर + वर्णिनी (प्रातिपदिक); वरवर्णिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (वरा वर्णिनी या)

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta continues)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (Naimiṣāraṇya frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A woman discreetly tucks a small blade into her braided hair (veṇī), eyes focused and determined; the palace corridor leads toward the king’s bedchamber, lit by oil lamps.

Characters & Entities

• varavarṇinī (the woman)
• nṛpa (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Deception and intent to harm, especially within intimate bonds, is severe adharma that ripens into swift suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha is the chapter’s underlying frame; this verse advances the moral narrative rather than naming the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.