Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

। मेनकोवाच । नूनं हि कामधर्मे त्वं न प्रवीणो महाद्युते । तेन मामीदृशैर्वाक्यैर्निवारयसि रागिणीम्

Transliteration

| menakovāca | nūnaṃ hi kāmadharme tvaṃ na pravīṇo mahādyute | tena māmīdṛśairvākyairnivārayasi rāgiṇīm

Translation

Menakā nói: Hỡi bậc rực rỡ vĩ đại, hẳn ngươi không tinh thông đạo lý của ái tình; vì thế ngươi dùng những lời như vậy để ngăn ta—kẻ đang đầy dục vọng.

Word by Word

• menakā: Menakā
• menakā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: menakā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• nūnam: surely
• nūnam: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nūnam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक (particle/adverb: surely)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक (particle: indeed/for)

• kāma-dharme: in the ways of love
• kāma-dharme: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma + dharma (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—कामस्य धर्मः (love/sexual conduct)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुषार्थे सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• pravīṇaḥ: skilled
• pravīṇaḥ: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pravīṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• mahā-dyute: O great-splendored one
• mahā-dyute: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + dyuti (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—महती द्युतिः यस्य

• tena: therefore / by that
• tena: Karana (Instrument/Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; कारणार्थे (therefore/by that)

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमपुरुषार्थे सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• īdṛśaiḥ: with such
• īdṛśaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: īdṛśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• vākyaiḥ: words
• vākyaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• nivārayasi: you restrain / prevent
• nivārayasi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√vṛ (धातु; causative √vār/√vṛ?)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative sense: to restrain)

• rāgiṇīm: the passionate woman (me)
• rāgiṇīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāginī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेष्य (the one who is passionate)

Speaker

Menakā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viśvāmitra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Menakā speaks with confident, teasing expression; her posture is graceful and forward-leaning, while the ascetic remains composed—an encounter of rhetoric and resolve.

Characters & Entities

• Menakā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse frames the tension between desire and restraint, setting up a dharmic discourse on protecting vows.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This line is part of a moral dialogue embedded in Tīrthamāhātmya; no single tīrtha is named in the verse itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; it introduces the debate around conduct (ācāra) and restraint.