Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

अथान्योऽपि द्विजः प्राह धैर्यवानमितद्युतिः । एषा चतुर्दशे वर्षे वैधव्यं प्रतिपत्स्यति

Transliteration

athānyo'pi dvijaḥ prāha dhairyavānamitadyutiḥ | eṣā caturdaśe varṣe vaidhavyaṃ pratipatsyati

Translation

Dann sprach ein anderer Brāhmaṇa, standhaft und von unermesslichem Glanz: „In ihrem vierzehnten Lebensjahr wird sie in den Stand der Witwenschaft gelangen.“

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक अव्यय (sequencing particle)

• अन्यः: another
• अन्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of द्विजः)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक अव्यय (particle ‘also’)

• द्विजः: a brāhmaṇa
• द्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अह् (ब्रूवणे)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• धैर्यवान्: courageous, steadfast
• धैर्यवान्: Karta (Subject attribute/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धैर्यवत् (प्रातिपदिक; धैर्य + वत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• अमितद्युतिः: of immeasurable splendour
• अमितद्युतिः: Karta (Subject attribute/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमित-द्युति (प्रातिपदिक; अमित + द्युति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of द्विजः)

• एषा: this (woman)
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• चतुर्दशे: in the fourteenth
• चतुर्दशे: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘चतुर्दश’ (fourteen) as numeral qualifier of वर्षे

• वर्षे: in (her) year (of age)
• वर्षे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कालाधिकरण

• वैधव्यम्: widowhood
• वैधव्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैधव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रतिपत्स्यति: will attain, will meet with
• प्रतिपत्स्यति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पद् (गतौ/प्राप्तौ) + प्रति (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Another brāhmaṇa seer/astrologer (dvija) addressing the king (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A second brāhmaṇa, radiant yet grave, speaks an ominous line; the atmosphere cools, lamps seem dimmer; the young girl’s auspicious vision is shadowed by a dark cloud motif indicating widowhood at fourteen.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa (dvija)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly conditions can change abruptly; Purāṇic narratives use such turns to direct the mind from fear toward dharma and divine refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction is stated; it is a predictive declaration.