Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

मया स्वयं प्रदृष्टेयं जारेण सह संगता । त्वया वह्ने सुपापेयं न कस्माद्भस्मसात्कृता

Transliteration

mayā svayaṃ pradṛṣṭeyaṃ jāreṇa saha saṃgatā | tvayā vahne supāpeyaṃ na kasmādbhasmasātkṛtā

Translation

میں نے خود اسے ایک یار کے ساتھ بدکاری میں مبتلا دیکھا۔ اے آگنی! یہ بڑی گنہگار عورت تم سے راکھ کیوں نہ ہوئی؟

Word by Word

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (करण) विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by me)

• svayam: personally
• svayam: Avyaya (Modifier/अव्यय-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; emphatic adverb (oneself)

• pradṛṣṭā: seen
• pradṛṣṭā: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra√dṛś (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्ययान्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; Past passive participle, feminine nominative singular

• iyam: this (woman)
• iyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; Pronoun feminine nominative singular

• jāreṇa: with a paramour
• jāreṇa: Sahakāraka (Associate/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine instrumental singular

• saha: with
• saha: Avyaya (Relation-marker/संबन्धसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक-उपपद (with) governing instrumental

• saṃgatā: joined/consorted
• saṃgatā: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam√gam (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; Past participle feminine nominative singular

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by you)

• vahne: O Fire
• vahne: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vahni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th) विभक्ति, एकवचन; Vocative singular

• su-pāpā: very sinful
• su-pāpā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + pāpā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; Feminine nominative singular (very sinful)

• iyam: this (woman)
• iyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; Pronoun feminine nominative singular

• na: not
• na: Avyaya (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• kasmāt: why/from what reason
• kasmāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुँलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; Ablative singular (from what reason/why)

• bhasmasāt: to ashes
• bhasmasāt: Gati/Upapada (Result-state/गति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhasmasāt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिणाम/अवस्था-वाचक (to ashes, to destruction)

• kṛtā: made/turned (into)
• kṛtā: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; Past passive participle used predicatively (was made)

Speaker

Accuser/husband (implied by context; addressing Agni)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agni (Vahni/Saptārcis)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A distraught brāhmaṇa confronts Agni, accusing him of failing to burn a woman seen with a paramour; the moment is charged—firelight, pointing gesture, moral indignation.

Characters & Entities

• Agni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse highlights the human tendency to demand immediate punishment, setting up Agni’s role as a discerning witness rather than a tool of vengeance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No prescription; it alludes to fire as a means of judgment, but gives no ritual rule.