Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

शृणु विप्र ममाप्यस्ति व्रतमेतत्सुदारुणम् । स्त्रीलघुत्वान्मयारब्धं दुष्करं मन्दमेधया

Transliteration

śṛṇu vipra mamāpyasti vratametatsudāruṇam | strīlaghutvānmayārabdhaṃ duṣkaraṃ mandamedhayā

Translation

শোনো, হে বিপ্র—আমারও এই অতি দারুণ ব্রত আছে। নারীর চঞ্চল স্বভাবের বশে আমি এটি আরম্ভ করেছি; মন্দবুদ্ধির পক্ষে এটি সত্যই দুরূহ।

Word by Word

• śṛṇu: listen
• śṛṇu: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• vipra: O brahmin
• vipra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (my)

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

• asti: is; exists
• asti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• vratam: a vow
• vratam: Karma/Pratipadya (Object/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विषय/कर्म (vow)

• etat: this
• etat: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (this)

• sudāruṇam: very severe
• sudāruṇam: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su-dāruṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (very dreadful/harsh)

• strīlaghutvāt: because of feminine fickleness/lightness
• strīlaghutvāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक) + laghutva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (because of the lightness/frivolity of womanhood)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; कर्तृकरणे (by me)

• ārabdham: undertaken
• ārabdham: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ārabdha (कृदन्त; √rabh (धातु) आ-उपसर्ग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) — begun/undertaken; ‘vratam’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• duṣkaram: hard to accomplish
• duṣkaram: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duṣ-kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (difficult to do)

• mandamedhayā: by (me) of dull intellect
• mandamedhayā: Karana/Karta (Agent-instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manda (प्रातिपदिक) + medhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; समासः—मन्दमेधा = मन्दा मेधा यस्याः/या (of dull intellect); करण/कर्तृविशेषण (by one of dull intellect)

Speaker

Śrī Devī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa (vipra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī speaks candidly, her expression compassionate yet serious; she gestures toward a symbolic austerity—perhaps a simple water-pot and fasting plate—while the devotee listens, humbled.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Devī
• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)
• Vrata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vows should be undertaken with steadiness and discernment; even the speaker admits that impulsiveness makes austerities harder to complete.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā (Narmadā) region frames the chapter, but no single tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A ‘sudāruṇa’ (very severe) vrata is referenced, but its detailed rules are not stated in this line.