Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

संसारविषवृक्षस्य कुकर्मकुसुमस्य च । नरकार्तिफलस्योक्ता मूलमेषा नितंबिनी

Transliteration

saṃsāraviṣavṛkṣasya kukarmakusumasya ca | narakārtiphalasyoktā mūlameṣā nitaṃbinī

Translation

یہ دل فریب کولہوں والی عورت اسی سنسار کے زہریلے درخت کی جڑ کہی گئی ہے—جس کے پھول بداعمالیاں ہیں اور جس کا پھل دوزخ کی اذیت۔

Word by Word

• saṃsāra-viṣa-vṛkṣasya: of the poisonous tree of worldly existence
• saṃsāra-viṣa-vṛkṣasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃsāra (प्रातिपदिक) + viṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + vṛkṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचनम् (Genitive 6th), पुंलिङ्गम् (Masculine); बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी) ‘संसारः एव विषम्’ इति विशेषणपूर्वकः ‘विषवृक्षः’

• kukarma-kusumasya: of the flower of evil deeds
• kukarma-kusumasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kukarma (प्रातिपदिक) + kusuma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचनम् (Genitive 6th), नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (Neuter); तत्पुरुष-समासः (षष्ठी) ‘कुकर्मणः कुसुमम्’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• naraka-ārti-phalasya: of the fruit that is the torment of hell
• naraka-ārti-phalasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naraka (प्रातिपदिक) + ārti (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचनम् (Genitive 6th), नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (Neuter); तत्पुरुष-समासः (षष्ठी) ‘नरकस्य आर्तिः’ इति ‘नरकार्तिः’, तस्य फलम्

• uktā: is said/called
• uktā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vac (धातु) → ukta (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (Nominative 1st), स्त्रीलिङ्गम् (Feminine); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle)

• mūlam: the root
• mūlam: Karma (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (Nominative 1st) वा द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (Accusative 2nd), नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (Neuter); अत्र विधेय-नाम (predicate nominative)

• eṣā: this (woman)
• eṣā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (Nominative 1st), स्त्रीलिङ्गम् (Feminine); सर्वनाम

• nitaṃbinī: a woman (lit. one with buttocks/hips)
• nitaṃbinī: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nitaṃbinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (Nominative 1st), स्त्रीलिङ्गम् (Feminine)

Speaker

Unspecified (Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrator voice; likely a didactic passage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A विशाल poisonous tree labeled ‘Saṃsāra’: roots entwined around a seductive figure; blossoms are dark ‘kukarma’ flowers; fruits are fiery ‘naraka’ orbs; a pilgrim/ascetic recoils and turns toward a shrine/river for refuge.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unchecked sensual fascination is portrayed as a root-cause that leads to bad actions and painful karmic results; cultivate restraint and discernment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this verse; it supports the broader tīrtha discourse by emphasizing inner discipline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the focus is ethical causality (karma → suffering) rather than ritual.