Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तस्यैका चाभवत्पत्नी प्राणेभ्योऽपि गरीयसी । पतिव्रता पतिप्राणा पतिप्रियहिते रता

Transliteration

tasyaikā cābhavatpatnī prāṇebhyo'pi garīyasī | pativratā patiprāṇā patipriyahite ratā

Translation

وكانت له زوجةٌ واحدة، أحبَّ إليه من حياته؛ زوجةٌ عفيفةٌ على نذرِ الوفاء لزوجها (باتيفراتا)، جعلت زوجَها روحَها، لا تفترُ عن السعي فيما يُرضيه وينفعه.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एका: one (single)
• एका: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying पत्नी)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (and)

• अभवत्: became/was
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• पत्नी: wife
• पत्नी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• प्राणेभ्यः: than (her) lives/breaths
• प्राणेभ्यः: Upamana/Comparison base (Ablative of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), बहुवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-कार (even)

• गरीयसी: more dear/greater
• गरीयसी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गरीयस् (प्रातिपदिक; comparative of गुरु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तुलनात्मक (comparative)

• पतिव्रता: devoted to her husband (pativratā)
• पतिव्रता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पति + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक; components)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पतेः व्रतम् यस्याः)

• पतिप्राणा: one whose life is her husband
• पतिप्राणा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पति + प्राण (प्रातिपदिक; components)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (पति एव प्राणाः यस्याः)

• पतिप्रियहिते: in what is dear and beneficial to (her) husband
• पतिप्रियहिते: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति + प्रिय + हित (प्रातिपदिक; components)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पतेः प्रियं हितं च तस्मिन्)

• रता: engaged/delighting
• रता: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम् (धातु) (कृदन्त: क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past participle used adjectivally: engaged), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis of Naimiṣāraṇya (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a brāhmaṇa home: the wife depicted as composed and devoted, attending to her husband’s needs with reverence; symbols of household ritual—lamp, water-pot, sacred thread, and offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Lohajaṅgha
• his wife (pativratā ideal)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic ideal of gṛhastha-dharma is shown through loyalty, mutual welfare, and steadfast marital virtue.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly the tīrtha-region of Adhyāya 124, by presenting exemplary lives connected to its narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes the ethical quality of pativratā-dharma.