Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

साध्वी महाकुलोत्पन्ना भार्याया स्यात्पतिव्रता । तत्रापि दुर्लभं यच्च तया धर्मनिषेवणम्

Transliteration

sādhvī mahākulotpannā bhāryāyā syātpativratā | tatrāpi durlabhaṃ yacca tayā dharmaniṣevaṇam

Translation

قد تكون الزوجةُ الصالحة، المولودةُ في بيتٍ كريم، «باتيفراتا» مخلصةً لزوجها؛ ومع ذلك فندرٌ أن تداوم بثباتٍ على خدمة الدharma والعمل به.

Word by Word

• साध्वी: virtuous, chaste
• साध्वी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साध्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Feminine, Nominative, Singular; adjective)

• महाकुलोत्पन्ना: born in a great family
• महाकुलोत्पन्ना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + कुल + उत्पन्ना (प्रातिपदिक); √पद्/√पन् (धातु) से 'उत्पन्न' (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (Feminine, Nominative, Singular; tatpurusha)

• भार्यायाः: of a wife
• भार्यायाः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन (Feminine, Genitive, Singular)

• स्यात्: should be, may be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Optative, 3rd sg, Parasmaipada)

• पतिव्रता: a devoted wife (faithful to husband)
• पतिव्रता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति + व्रता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (Feminine, Nominative, Singular; tatpurusha)

• तत्र: therein, in that case
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: even/also)

• दुर्लभम्: rare, hard to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; adjective)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-यत् (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• तया: by her
• तया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular)

• धर्मनिषेवणम्: practice/observance of dharma
• धर्मनिषेवणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + निषेवण (प्रातिपदिक); नि√सेव् (धातु) + ल्युट् (कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; tatpurusha)

Speaker

Himācala

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dignified householder woman with simple signs of nobility stands near a domestic shrine; despite auspicious surroundings, the emphasis is on her disciplined daily worship and ethical acts, highlighting rarity of true dharma-practice.

Characters & Entities

• Himācala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External markers—lineage and social virtue—are not enough; consistent dharma-practice is the true rarity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the focus is on character and practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it emphasizes dharma-niṣevaṇa (ongoing practice of dharma) as the essential discipline.