Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

तथेति व्रीडिता साध्वी दूयमानेन चेतसा । अपालयच्च तं गर्भं यावत्पुत्रो ह्यजायत

Transliteration

tatheti vrīḍitā sādhvī dūyamānena cetasā | apālayacca taṃ garbhaṃ yāvatputro hyajāyata

Translation

“তথেই হওক,” বুলি ক’লে সা্ধ্বী লজ্জিত হ’ল, অন্তৰে দুখে জ্বলি উঠিল; তথাপি সি সেই গৰ্ভক ৰক্ষা কৰিলে, যেতিয়ালৈকে পুত্ৰ জন্ম নল’লে।

Word by Word

• तथा: so, thus
• तथा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb)

• इति: thus (saying)
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• व्रीडिता: ashamed, abashed
• व्रीडिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्रीड् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• साध्वी: virtuous woman
• साध्वी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साध्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• दूयमानेन: by the suffering/tormented (mind)
• दूयमानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दूय् (धातु)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle, Ātmanepada), नपुंसक/पुं (agreeing with चेतसा), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• चेतसा: by mind, with heart
• चेतसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपालयत्: protected, guarded
• अपालयत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अ + पाल् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपदम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तम्: him/that
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• गर्भम्: the embryo
• गर्भम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• यावत्: until
• यावत्: Sambandha (Temporal connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधि-वाचक-अव्यय (until)

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (indeed)

• अजायत: was born
• अजायत: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); आत्मनेपदम्

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, not explicit in verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A virtuous woman, eyes lowered in shame and heart aching, nevertheless guards her pregnancy through time until the child is born; the scene shifts from sorrowful resolve to the quiet moment of birth.

Characters & Entities

• Sādhvī
• Putra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True virtue is steadfastness: even amid shame and sorrow, one follows dharma and protects life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears here; the verse continues the Revā-khaṇḍa narrative sequence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it highlights dharmic conduct (rakṣā) rather than ritual.