Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

किं व्रतैर्नियमैर्वापि स्त्रीणां ब्राह्मणसत्तमाः । जपैर्होमैः कृतैरन्यैर्बहुक्लेशकरैश्च तैः

Transliteration

kiṃ vratairniyamairvāpi strīṇāṃ brāhmaṇasattamāḥ | japairhomaiḥ kṛtairanyairbahukleśakaraiśca taiḥ

Translation

يا خيرَ البراهمة، ما حاجةُ النساء إلى النذور والقيود، أو إلى أعمالٍ أخرى كالجَپَ (japa) والهَوْمَ (homa) التي تُؤدَّى بمشقةٍ عظيمة؟

Word by Word

• किम्: what (use)?
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (प्रश्नार्थक), ‘what use?/what (is the point)?’

• व्रतैः: by vows; with vows
• व्रतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• नियमैः: by observances; disciplines
• नियमैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्पार्थक)

• अपि: even; also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ)

• स्त्रीणाम्: of women; for women
• स्त्रीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• ब्राह्मणसत्तमाः: O best brāhmaṇas
• ब्राह्मणसत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे (हे) ‘O best of brāhmaṇas’

• जपैः: by recitations
• जपैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• होमैः: by fire-offerings
• होमैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• कृतैः: performed
• कृतैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त (भूतकर्मणि/भूतकाले), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘done/performed’ (जपैः/होमैः इत्यादिभिः सह)

• अन्यैः: other
• अन्यैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘other’

• बहुक्लेशकरैः: causing much hardship
• बहुक्लेशकरैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु + क्लेश + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘causing much trouble’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयार्थक)

• तैः: by those
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; ‘by those’ (i.e., those acts)

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation; rhetorical emphasis)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇa-sattamāḥ (addressed audience of eminent brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned brāhmaṇa assembly listens as the speaker emphasizes that women need not perform harsh vratas, japa, or homa; the focus shifts to a single devotional service to Gaurī.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Japa
• Homa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa highlights compassionate accessibility: a potent tīrtha-rite can replace arduous disciplines.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly the same Gaurī Pañcapiṇḍikā tīrtha, since the verse contrasts hard rites with the praised practice there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is stated; it de-emphasizes difficult practices (vrata/niyama/japa/homa) in favor of the forthcoming/ongoing jalayantra observance.