Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

इति तेन समापृष्टा सा नारी बाष्पलोचना । व्याजहारात्मनोवृत्तं बाल्ये वैधव्यकारणम्

Transliteration

iti tena samāpṛṣṭā sā nārī bāṣpalocanā | vyājahārātmanovṛttaṃ bālye vaidhavyakāraṇam

Translation

So von ihm befragt, erzählte die Frau —mit tränenvollen Augen— ihren eigenen Lebenslauf und auch den Grund, weshalb sie schon in der Kindheit zur Witwe wurde.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha/Quotation marker (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative)

• tena: by him
• tena: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental), एकवचनम्

• samāpṛṣṭā: having been questioned
• samāpṛṣṭā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prach (धातु) उपसर्ग-सम् + ā
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (सा नारी)

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• nārī: woman
• nārī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• bāṣpalocanā: tear-eyed
• bāṣpalocanā: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bāṣpa + locanā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समासः: बाष्पयुक्ते लोचने यस्याः; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (नारी)

• vyājahāra: told/uttered
• vyājahāra: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hṛ (धातु) उपसर्ग-वि + ā
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• ātmanaḥ: of herself
• ātmanaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive), एकवचनम्

• vṛttam: account/story
• vṛttam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛtta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √vṛt)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP used as noun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्

• bālye: in childhood
• bālye: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bālya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative), एकवचनम्

• vaidhavyakāraṇam: the cause of widowhood
• vaidhavyakāraṇam: Karma (Object complement/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaidhavya + kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (षष्ठी): वैधव्यस्य कारणम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; वṛत्तम्-विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

Speaker

Narrator (the woman speaks within the narrative, but her speech content begins here)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The woman speaks with tear-filled eyes, recounting her life; the listener remains attentive; the child’s presence heightens poignancy and mystery.

Characters & Entities

• nārī (woman)
• vaidhavya (widowhood)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Suffering is to be voiced truthfully and heard with compassion; dharma includes acknowledging the burdens carried by others.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gokarṇa remains the setting, framing personal sorrow within a sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces a biographical explanation (nidāna) for her condition.