Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

भोजनाच्छादनं चैव निर्विकल्पेन चेतसा । ततः कामातुरः पुष्पो मैथुनायोपचक्रमे

Transliteration

bhojanācchādanaṃ caiva nirvikalpena cetasā | tataḥ kāmāturaḥ puṣpo maithunāyopacakrame

Translation

اس نے بلا جھجھک کھانا اور کپڑے فراہم کیے؛ تب کام دیو کے زیر اثر پشپ نے جنسی ملاپ کی کوشش شروع کی۔

Word by Word

• भोजन: food
• भोजन: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक; √भुज् (धातु) से निष्पन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• आच्छादनम्: covering, clothing
• आच्छादनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आच्छादन (प्रातिपदिक; √छद् (धातु) उपसर्ग-आ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

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

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• निर्विकल्पेन: with an unhesitating/undoubting
• निर्विकल्पेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्विकल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (Masc/Neut, Instrumental, Singular); विशेषण

• चेतसा: with mind
• चेतसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Singular)

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/क्रमबोधक (adverb: then/from there)

• कामातुरः: afflicted by desire
• कामातुरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कामातुर (प्रातिपदिक; काम + आतुर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); विशेषण; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कामेन आतुरः)

• पुष्पः: Puṣpa (name)
• पुष्पः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• मैथुनाय: for sexual union
• मैथुनाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैथुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन (Neuter, Dative, Singular)

• उपचक्रमे: he began, set about
• उपचक्रमे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-√क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (Perfect, 3rd person, Singular)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator within the Tīrthamāhātmya episode (narrative description)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a modest house: a woman offers food and a covering with composed face; a man named Puṣpa, eyes restless, leans forward with overt desire, the atmosphere turning tense despite the earlier hospitality.

Characters & Entities

• Puṣpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāma, when unchecked, overturns discernment and dharma; the Purāṇic narrative warns that desire quickly becomes action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it contributes to the moral arc within the Tīrthamāhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a moral-narrative statement rather than a ritual instruction.