Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

त्वत्कन्या शूलभेदस्था नियता व्रतचारिणी । एवमुक्त्वा स्थिता सा तु तत्र भानुमती नृपः

Transliteration

tvatkanyā śūlabhedasthā niyatā vratacāriṇī | evamuktvā sthitā sā tu tatra bhānumatī nṛpaḥ

Translation

„Deine Tochter, die in Śūlabheda weilt, ist gezügelt und ihrem Gelübde treu.“ So gesprochen, blieb Bhānumatī wahrlich dort, o König.

Word by Word

• tvat-kanyā: your daughter
• tvat-kanyā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvat (युष्मद्-प्रातिपदिक) + kanyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (tava kanyā), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — 'your daughter'

• śūla-bheda-sthā: standing at the śūla-bheda (piercing) place/state
• śūla-bheda-sthā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śūla (प्रातिपदिक) + bheda (प्रातिपदिक) + sthā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (śūlabhede sthitā), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — 'standing/placed at the piercing of the stake/spear' (kanyā-विशेषण)

• niyatā: disciplined, steadfast
• niyatā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niyata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — 'restrained/steadfast'

• vrata-cāriṇī: vow-observing
• vrata-cāriṇī: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक) + cāriṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (vrataṃ carati iti), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — 'one who practices vows'

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Adverb) — 'thus'

• uktvā: having said
• uktvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच् धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive) — 'having said'

• sthitā: stood, remained
• sthitā: Kriyā (Predicative action/state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā (स्था धातु) + क्त (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past passive participle used adjectivally), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — 'stood/remained'

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — 'she'

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha/Emphasis (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Particle) — 'indeed/but'

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Adverb of place) — 'there'

• bhānumatī: Bhānumatī
• bhānumatī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhānumatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — proper name 'Bhānumatī'

• nṛpaḥ: king
• nṛpaḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — 'king' (apposition/title)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice; direct address to a king indicates listener is a nṛpa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūlabheda

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: O king (nṛpaḥ) explicitly addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A messenger or brāhmaṇa conveys to the king: ‘Your daughter remains at Śūlabheda, disciplined, practicing her vow.’ The scene then shows Bhānumatī steadfastly residing at the tīrtha.

Characters & Entities

• Bhānumatī
• Śūlabheda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steadfast vow-practice at a named sacred site is presented as a powerful, dharma-filled life choice worthy of narration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śūlabheda is explicitly mentioned as the place where the vow is being practiced.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Niyama and vrata-caryā (regulated vow-practice), implying disciplined conduct while residing at the tīrtha.