Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

निराहारं पतिं मत्वा तपस्तेपे पतिव्रता । तस्यास्तपसि वर्तंत्या इंद्रश्चक्रे विभीषिकाम्

Transliteration

nirāhāraṃ patiṃ matvā tapastepe pativratā | tasyāstapasi vartaṃtyā iṃdraścakre vibhīṣikām

Translation

ظنّت الزوجة العفيفة (پتيفراتا) أن زوجها صائمٌ بلا طعام، فأقامت التَّپَس (الزهد والنسك). وبينما كانت مواظبةً على تپَسها، أوجد إندرا رُعبًا ليُشَوِّش عليها.

Word by Word

• निराहारम्: fasting, without food
• निराहारम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; नञ्/निर्-पूर्वक तत्पुरुष (आहारः न यस्य)

• पतिम्: husband
• पतिम्: Karma (कर्म/object of knowing)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मत्वा: having considered
• मत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘having thought/considered’

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तेपे: performed austerity
• तेपे: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• पतिव्रता: a devoted wife (pativratā)
• पतिव्रता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (पतेः व्रतं यस्याः)

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• तपसि: in austerity / in her penance
• तपसि: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• वर्तन्त्याः: while she was engaged (in it)
• वर्तन्त्याः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्), ‘वर्तन्ती’ = being engaged/continuing

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• चक्रे: made, created
• चक्रे: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• विभीषिकाम्: a terror, frightful apparition
• विभीषिकाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभीषिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: सरस्-तीर (unnamed)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devoted wife continues austerity, believing her husband is fasting; Indra manifests a frightening apparition—dark storm, roaring beasts, or illusory threats—near the lakeshore to break her resolve.

Characters & Entities

• Indra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tapas attracts tests; steadfastness in dharma is shown as the measure of spiritual strength.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A lake-bank hermitage setting is implied, but no named tīrtha appears in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas undertaken by a pativratā—implying fasting/ascetic discipline in response to her husband’s condition.