Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

यः सदारं नरं पश्येदेकांतस्थं तु बुद्धिमान् । अपि चात्यंतपापः स्यात्किं पुनर्निजबांधवम्

Transliteration

yaḥ sadāraṃ naraṃ paśyedekāṃtasthaṃ tu buddhimān | api cātyaṃtapāpaḥ syātkiṃ punarnijabāṃdhavam

Translation

جو دانا شخص کسی مرد کو عورت کے ساتھ خلوت میں دیکھے، وہ سخت گناہ کا مرتکب ہوتا ہے—پھر اگر وہ اپنا ہی رشتہ دار ہو تو گناہ کتنا بڑھ جاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• yaḥ: who (he who)
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• sa-dāram: with (his) wife
• sa-dāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (उपसर्ग/सह) + dāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सह-तत्पुरुषः (सदारः = दारैः सह)

• naram: a man
• naram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• paśyet: should see
• paśyet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: √दृश् (पश्यति)

• ekānta-stham: standing/being in seclusion
• ekānta-stham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ekānta (प्रातिपदिक) + stha (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-आधार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (एकान्ते स्थितः)

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• buddhimān: a wise man
• buddhimān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: buddhi-mat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; गुणवाचक-विशेष्यरूपेण

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), अपि=even/also

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• atyanta-pāpaḥ: extremely sinful
• atyanta-pāpaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: atyanta (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (अत्यन्तं पापः)

• syāt: would become
• syāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: √अस् (भवति)

• kim: what (how much more)
• kim: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative) एकवचन (अव्ययीभावार्थे प्रश्न/उत्कर्षे); किम्=what? (here: how much more?)

• punar: again; rather (how much more)
• punar: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• nija-bāndhavam: one’s own relative
• nija-bāndhavam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nija (प्रातिपदिक) + bāndhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (निजः बान्धवः)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual ethical maxim; not explicit in the verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim/wise man averts his eyes while a couple is implied to be in seclusion; the composition emphasizes ethical restraint—turned face, lowered gaze, and a boundary (curtain/doorway/forest grove).

Characters & Entities

• Relative/kinsman (general)
• Man and woman in seclusion (general)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma emphasizes restraint and respect for privacy; even unintended impropriety can generate moral fault.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse provides a dharmic rule of conduct supporting purity during sacred narratives.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual; it is a conduct-prescription (ācāra) warning against entering or observing private situations.