Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

चिंतितं च मया चित्ते कथमेतां हराम्यहम् । तस्माच्छिष्यत्वमासाद्य भक्तिमस्य करोम्यहम्

Transliteration

ciṃtitaṃ ca mayā citte kathametāṃ harāmyaham | tasmācchiṣyatvamāsādya bhaktimasya karomyaham

Translation

Trong lòng ta tự hỏi: “Làm sao ta có thể đưa nàng đi?” Vì thế, đạt địa vị làm đệ tử của ngài, ta sẽ bày tỏ lòng bhakti (sùng kính) đối với ngài.

Word by Word

• ciṃtitam: was thought
• ciṃtitam: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: cint (धातु) → cintita (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त (past participle) used impersonally; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अर्थ: “it was thought”

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) = conjunction “and”

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Kartr̥/Instrument (कर्ता/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• citte: in (my) mind
• citte: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• katham: how
• katham: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नार्थ) = interrogative adverb “how”

• etām: this woman/her
• etām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (सर्वनाम), द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• harāmi: I take away/abduct
• harāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: हृ (to take/steal/carry away)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् (ablative used adverbially) = “therefore/from that”

• śiṣyatvam: discipleship
• śiṣyatvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiṣya + tva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धित (त्व) = “discipleship”

• āsādya: having attained
• āsādya: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā-sad (धातु) → āsādya (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष (gerund) = “having attained/obtained”

• bhaktim: devotion/service
• bhaktim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• asya: of him
• asya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सर्वनाम), षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• karomi: I do/perform
• karomi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: कृ (to do/make)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

An unnamed narrator (confessional tone) within the Tīrthamāhātmya narrative

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solitary figure in contemplation, eyes lowered, hand to chin, plotting how to obtain a beloved; in the background a serene āśrama suggests the intended disguise of discipleship.

Characters & Entities

• Gālava (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma warns against disguising selfish intent as devotion; true bhakti is inseparable from integrity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the teaching is ethical within a sacred-heritage narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse mentions taking up discipleship and ‘bhakti’ as service, but not as a formal rite.