Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

इत्युक्तः शंकरः शंकां किंचित्प्राप्यवधारयत् । कुपिता मयि तन्वंगी प्रत्यक्षा च दृढव्रता

Transliteration

ityuktaḥ śaṃkaraḥ śaṃkāṃ kiṃcitprāpyavadhārayat | kupitā mayi tanvaṃgī pratyakṣā ca dṛḍhavratā

Translation

فلما سمع شَنْكَرَ ذلك، دخله شيءٌ من الشكّ وتأمّل: «تلك الرشيقةُ القوام غاضبةٌ عليّ جهارًا، وهي ثابتةٌ على نذرها.»

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरणसूचक

• uktaḥ: having been told
• uktaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• śaṃkaraḥ: Śaṅkara
• śaṃkaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• śaṃkām: doubt
• śaṃkām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• kiṃcit: some/a little
• kiṃcit: Visheshaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kiṃcid (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; परिमाण/अल्पत्ववाचक विशेषण

• prāpya: having obtained/experiencing
• prāpya: Kriya-viseshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-āp (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

• avadhārayat: concluded/decided
• avadhārayat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-dhṛ (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• kupitā: angry
• kupitā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kupita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• mayi: at me / towards me
• mayi: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• tanu-aṅgī: the slender-limbed woman
• tanu-aṅgī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tanu (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅgī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (तन्वङ्गानि यस्याः सा)

• pratyakṣā: visible/present
• pratyakṣā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pratyakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• dṛḍha-vratā: firm in vow
• dṛḍha-vratā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dṛḍha (प्रातिपदिक) + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (दृढं व्रतं यस्याः सा)

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta) describing Śiva’s internal discernment (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śaṅkara, hearing the claim, becomes slightly suspicious; his face shows controlled concern, eyes narrowing in contemplation; the ‘slender-limbed’ one is described as openly angry and firm in vow—an inconsistency that triggers scrutiny.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara
• Śiva (implied)
• Tanvaṅgī (Umā/Pārvatī implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even in intimate relationships, truth is safeguarded by viveka (discernment) and steadfast dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; only the idea of steadfast vow (dṛḍha-vrata) is referenced.