Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

ततः कदाचिदेवाथ फलार्थं निर्गता बहिः । अपश्यच्छांडिलीनाम पतिपार्श्वे व्यवस्थिताम्

Transliteration

tataḥ kadācidevātha phalārthaṃ nirgatā bahiḥ | apaśyacchāṃḍilīnāma patipārśve vyavasthitām

Translation

ثمّ ذاتَ مرةٍ، حين خرجت تلتمس الثمار، رأت امرأةً تُدعى شاندِلي (Śāṇḍilī) قائمةً إلى جانب زوجها.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kāla (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (then/thereafter)

• kadācit: once/sometime
• kadācit: Kāla (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kadācit (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (at some time)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• atha: then
• atha: Discourse connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/now)

• phalārtham: for fruit (to get fruit)
• phalārtham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: phala + artha (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचन-रूपेण क्रियाविशेषण (accusative of purpose); षष्ठी/तत्पुरुषः (फलस्य अर्थः)

• nirgatā: went out
• nirgatā: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir-gam (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘निर्गता’ = went out

• bahiḥ: outside
• bahiḥ: Adhikarana (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bahiḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: outside)

• apaśyat: saw
• apaśyat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: paś (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• śāṃḍilīm: Śāṇḍilī
• śāṃḍilīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāṃḍilī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• nāma: named
• nāma: Appositive marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: नामनिर्देशार्थक-निपात (particle indicating name)

• pati-pārśve: at the husband's side
• pati-pārśve: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati + pārśva (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पतेः पार्श्वे)

• vyavasthitām: standing/positioned
• vyavasthitām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-ava-sthā (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘स्थिताम्’ = standing/placed

Speaker

Sūta (continued narration)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Outdoor grove near the hermitage: Kātyāyanī with a small fruit basket pauses, noticing Śāṇḍilī standing confidently beside her husband; the moment is charged—recognition, surprise, and the promise of counsel.

Characters & Entities

• Kātyāyanī
• Śāṇḍilī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas often introduce exemplary figures (like Śāṇḍilī) whose conduct becomes a mirror for self-correction and dharma-learning.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it is narrative movement within the Tīrthamāhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes an encounter.