Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

अलक्ष्यं वीक्षयामास स्वासनं दूरमास्थितः । किंचित्सद्मांतरं प्राप्य कौतूहलसमन्वितः

Transliteration

alakṣyaṃ vīkṣayāmāsa svāsanaṃ dūramāsthitaḥ | kiṃcitsadmāṃtaraṃ prāpya kautūhalasamanvitaḥ

Translation

เขาอยู่ห่างออกไปและซ่อนกายไม่ให้ปรากฏ แล้วเพ่งดูอาสนะของตนเอง; จากนั้นด้วยความพิศวงใคร่รู้ จึงไปถึงห้องอีกแห่งหนึ่งภายในพระราชวัง

Word by Word

• अलक्ष्यम्: something unseen/indistinct
• अलक्ष्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलक्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; accusative singular (object of वीक्षयामास)

• वीक्षयामास: saw, observed
• वीक्षयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वीक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘he beheld’

• स्वासनम्: his own seat
• स्वासनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + आसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; accusative singular; समासः स्वम् आसनम् (कर्मधारय)

• दूरम्: far away
• दूरम्: Avyaya (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूरम् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• आस्थितः: standing, stationed
• आस्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकालिक क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘having stood/being situated’

• किञ्चित्: some, a certain
• किञ्चित्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किञ्चित् (सर्वनाम/अव्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; accusative singular; quantifier qualifying सद्मान्तरम्

• सद्मान्तरम्: an inner chamber/another house-part
• सद्मान्तरम्: Karma (Object/Goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सद्मन् + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; accusative singular; समासः सद्मनः अन्तरम् (तत्पुरुष)

• प्राप्य: having reached
• प्राप्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having reached/obtained’

• कौतूहलसमन्वितः: endowed with curiosity
• कौतूहलसमन्वितः: Visheshana (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कौतूहल + समन्वित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular; समासः कौतूहलेन समन्वितः (तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Narrator (not specified in snippet; within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śakra-niveśana (inner sabhā/antaḥpura)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king remains unseen at a distance, observing his own throne/seat in Indra’s palace; then he slips into another chamber, curiosity guiding him through jeweled corridors.

Characters & Entities

• Seat (āsana)
• Inner chamber (sadma-antara)
• King (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Secret observation driven by curiosity can uncover hidden causes behind ritual actions, but it also risks agitation and misunderstanding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse describes events in a celestial/palatial setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No prescription is given, but the focus remains on the āsana that will be ritually sprinkled.