Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

सापि माता परा पीडां नित्यं याति तथाकुला । यथायथा स संयाति वृद्धिं जठरमाश्रितः

Transliteration

sāpi mātā parā pīḍāṃ nityaṃ yāti tathākulā | yathāyathā sa saṃyāti vṛddhiṃ jaṭharamāśritaḥ

Translation

وتلك الأم أيضاً، وهي في ضيقٍ واضطراب، كانت تذوق ألماً شديداً على الدوام، كلما ازداد هو—المقيم في بطنها—نمواً بعد نموّ.

Word by Word

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थ (also/even)

• mātā: mother
• mātā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• parā: great, intense
• parā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• pīḍām: pain, affliction
• pīḍām: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pīḍā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• nityam: always
• nityam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययीभूत (adverbial use), नित्यं = always

• yāti: goes, undergoes
• yāti: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धाातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tathā: thus
• tathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (thus/so)

• ākulā: disturbed, agitated
• ākulā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ākula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• yathā: as
• yathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/relative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, यथार्थे (as/according as)

• yathā: as (repeated)
• yathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/relative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, पुनरुक्ति (correlative repetition: yathā-yathā = as...so...)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• saṃyāti: goes/advances, proceeds
• saṃyāti: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + yā (धाातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• vṛddhim: growth, increase
• vṛddhim: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• jaṭharam: womb, belly
• jaṭharam: Ādhāra/Deśa (आधार/स्थान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jaṭhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• āśritaḥ: having resorted to, dwelling in
• āśritaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-śri (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Interior domestic scene: a pregnant woman in visible distress, attendants supporting her; the sense of the foetus growing, conveyed symbolically (lotus-bud swelling, subtle aura).

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It evokes compassion and reminds that embodiment involves suffering that affects others, urging dharmic responsibility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this shloka; it is part of the chapter’s narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is descriptive narrative.