Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

केशभारपरिभ्रष्टा काचिदेवासनोत्थिता । दातुकामा तदा भैक्ष्यं चेष्टितुं नैव चाशकत्

Transliteration

keśabhāraparibhraṣṭā kācidevāsanotthitā | dātukāmā tadā bhaikṣyaṃ ceṣṭituṃ naiva cāśakat

Translation

Eine Frau, deren Haarpracht zerzaust und gelöst war, erhob sich von ihrem Sitz; obwohl sie Almosen geben wollte, vermochte sie damals nicht einmal, sich geziemend zu verhalten, um dem Bettelmönch Speise darzureichen.

Word by Word

• keśabhāraparibhraṣṭā: with hair-mass dishevelled
• keśabhāraparibhraṣṭā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: keśa-bhāra-paribhraṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक; keśa + bhāra + paribhraṣṭa)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुष-समास (‘dishevelled due to fallen mass of hair’)

• kācid: a certain (woman)
• kācid: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-प्रयोग (‘a certain’)

• eva: indeed, just
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• āsanotthitā: risen from her seat
• āsanotthitā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āsana-utthita (प्रातिपदिक; āsana + utthita)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुष-समास (‘risen from the seat’)

• dātukāmā: wishing to give
• dātukāmā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dātu-kāma (प्रातिपदिक; dātu (tumun of dā (धातु)) + kāma)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुष-समास (‘desirous to give’)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• bhaikṣyam: alms
• bhaikṣyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaikṣya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ceṣṭitum: to attempt, to do
• ceṣṭitum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ceṣṭ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (Infinitive/तुमुन्), ‘to act/attempt’

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negative particle)

• eva: at all/indeed
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• aśakat: was able
• aśakat: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śak (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/लङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dāruvana (narrative-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A woman rises abruptly, hair loosened, trying to offer bhikṣā to the mendicant; her hands falter mid-gesture, body tense with agitation; the mendicant remains tranquil, bowl extended.

Characters & Entities

• Bhikṣā (alms)
• Daruvana woman (implied)
• Śiva as mendicant (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Good intentions (like dāna) fail when the mind is overpowered; purity of intention must be joined with steadiness and self-control.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The scene belongs to Daruvana within the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative arc.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The act of giving bhikṣā (alms/food to a mendicant) is referenced, though not formally prescribed as a rule in this verse.