Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

तत्र ते मानवान्भोगान्भुक्त्वा चैव यथेच्छया । पुनर्निर्यांति तेनैव मार्गेण निजमंदिरम्

Transliteration

tatra te mānavānbhogānbhuktvā caiva yathecchayā | punarniryāṃti tenaiva mārgeṇa nijamaṃdiram

Translation

وہاں وہ انسانوں کے بھوگ اپنی مرضی کے مطابق بھگت کر، پھر اسی راستے سے نکل جاتے ہیں اور اپنے ہی مسکن کو لوٹ جاتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक adverb)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• मानवान्: humans, men
• मानवान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• भोगान्: enjoyments, pleasures
• भोगान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• भुक्त्वा: having enjoyed/consumed
• भुक्त्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भुज् (धातु) → भुक्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयार्थक conjunction)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण/particle of emphasis)

• यथा-इच्छया: as they wish, at will
• यथा-इच्छया: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + इच्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (यथाऽइच्छया = यथेच्छया); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषण-भावे

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरावृत्तिवाचक adverb)

• निर्यान्ति: they go out, depart
• निर्यान्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्-√या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान/present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• तेन: by that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: indeed, the very same
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण/particle of emphasis)

• मार्गेण: by the path
• मार्गेण: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• निज-मन्दिरम्: their own abode
• निज-मन्दिरम्: Karma (Object/goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्दिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास ('निजं मन्दिरम्'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgabila

Type: cave

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nāgas in human lands partaking of pleasures—gardens, music, feasts—yet turning back toward the anthill-portal, disappearing into the earth in an orderly return.

Characters & Entities

• Nāga
• Pātāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire-driven enjoyment is depicted as transient; the narrative highlights the tīrtha as a liminal gateway rather than an end in itself.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Nāgabila passage (the famed route used for coming-and-going) within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed; the verse continues the site’s mythic description.