Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

न शंभोर्लज्जया वक्त्रं प्रत्यक्षं स व्यलोकयत् । न च सा लज्जयाविष्टा करोति प्रकटं मुखम्

Transliteration

na śaṃbhorlajjayā vaktraṃ pratyakṣaṃ sa vyalokayat | na ca sā lajjayāviṣṭā karoti prakaṭaṃ mukham

Translation

出于对商布（Śambhu）的羞怯与敬畏，他未曾直视她的面容；她亦为羞涩所覆，不肯将容颜坦然显露。

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध निपात

• śaṃbhoḥ: of Śambhu (Śiva)
• śaṃbhoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃbhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• lajjayā: out of modesty
• lajjayā: Karaṇa/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lajjā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेतौ/करणे (by/through modesty)

• vaktram: face
• vaktram: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaktra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• pratyakṣam: directly/visible
• pratyakṣam: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pratyakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of vaktram)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• vyalokayat: looked at
• vyalokayat: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-ā-lok (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध निपात

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• lajjayā-āviṣṭā: overcome by modesty
• lajjayā-āviṣṭā: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: lajjā (प्रातिपदिक) + ā-viś (धातु) → āviṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (of sā)

• karoti: makes/does
• karoti: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• prakaṭam: open/manifest
• prakaṭam: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prakaṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of mukham)

• mukham: face
• mukham: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; specific speaker not stated in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A quiet moment of mutual modesty: he refrains from looking directly at her face out of shame before Śambhu; she keeps her face unrevealed, eyes lowered—ritual decorum and inner restraint prevail.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even amid strong impulses, dharma expresses itself as lajjā (modesty) and maryādā (propriety), especially in relation to the divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it belongs to a Tīrthamāhātmya narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse emphasizes conduct and modest restraint.