Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

स्वधया स्वाहया सार्धं सदा दुःखसमन्वितः । नैवाप्स्यसि परं सौख्यं सर्वकालं यथा पुरा

Transliteration

svadhayā svāhayā sārdhaṃ sadā duḥkhasamanvitaḥ | naivāpsyasi paraṃ saukhyaṃ sarvakālaṃ yathā purā

Translation

ومع سفَدها (Svadhā) وسفَاها (Svāhā) ستظلّ ملازمًا للحزن دائمًا؛ ولن تنال بعد اليوم السعادة العظمى في أي زمان كما كنت من قبل.

Word by Word

• स्वधया: with Svadhā
• स्वधया: Sahakarana (Association/सहकारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svadhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — instrumental ‘with svadhā’

• स्वाहया: with Svāhā
• स्वाहया: Sahakarana (Association/सहकारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svāhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — instrumental ‘with svāhā’

• सार्धम्: together
• सार्धम्: Sahakarana (Association/सहकारक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sārdham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सहभाववाचक) — ‘together with’

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) — ‘always’

• दुःखसमन्वितः: accompanied by sorrow
• दुःखसमन्वितः: Predicative (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक) + sam-anvita (अन्/इ धातु?; anvita as kta from anu-√i/√vī? lexical)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘endowed with sorrow’; समासः (तत्पुरुषः: दुःखेन समन्वितः)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध) — negation

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण) — ‘indeed/only’

• आप्स्यसि: you will obtain
• आप्स्यसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Future), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन — ‘you will obtain’

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — adjective qualifying सौख्यम्

• सौख्यम्: happiness
• सौख्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saukhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — object

• सर्वकालम्: at all times
• सर्वकालम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः — ‘at all times’ (accusative used adverbially)

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमान/रीति) — ‘as/just as’

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) — ‘formerly/before’

Speaker

Unspecified (curse continuation; context suggests address to Agni, who is associated with Svāhā; Svadhā linked with Pitṛ offerings)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agni flanked by personified Svāhā and Svadhā (two feminine deities), all three shown with downcast expressions; flames subdued; a shadow of sorrow over the yajña space.

Characters & Entities

• Svadhā
• Svāhā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred roles and mantric associations do not protect one who violates dharma; moral failure yields lasting distress.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references the ritual utterances/personifications Svāhā and Svadhā, but gives no prescriptive rite.