Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तथापि मन्ये शास्त्रैभ्यस्त्वनुकंप्या प्रियेति यत् । सर्वाश्रमानुपादाय स्वाश्रमेण कलत्रवान्

Transliteration

tathāpi manye śāstraibhyastvanukaṃpyā priyeti yat | sarvāśramānupādāya svāśrameṇa kalatravān

Translation

Dennoch erkenne ich aus den Lehren der Śāstra: Die Geliebte ist eine, der Mitgefühl gebührt. Auch wenn man dem Grundsatz nach alle Āśramas umfasst, soll der Mann, der in seiner eigenen Lebensstufe steht, seine Gattin dennoch tragen und versorgen.

Word by Word

• तथापि: nevertheless
• तथापि: Sambandha (Concession/अनुज्ञा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-समुच्चय (concessive: even so/nevertheless)

• मन्ये: I think
• मन्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• शास्त्रैभ्यः: from the scriptures
• शास्त्रैभ्यः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), बहुवचन

• तु: indeed, but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• अनुकम्प्या: worthy of compassion
• अनुकम्प्या: Vidheya (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनु-√कम्प् (धातु) → अनुकम्प्य (कृदन्त; यत्/ण्यत्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कृदन्त-विशेषण; ‘to be pitied/compassion-worthy’

• प्रिया: beloved (wife)
• प्रिया: Vidheya (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘beloved (wife)’

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्ति-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• यत्: that (which)
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative) — ‘that which/that’

• सर्वाश्रमान्: all āśramas (stages of life)
• सर्वाश्रमान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (सर्वे आश्रमाः)

• उपादाय: having adopted, having taken up
• उपादाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उप-आ-√दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• स्वाश्रमेण: by/with his own āśrama
• स्वाश्रमेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व-आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (स्वस्य आश्रमः)

• कलत्रवान्: possessing a wife
• कलत्रवान्: Vidheya (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कलत्रवत् (प्रातिपदिक; मतुप्/वतुप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘having a wife’

Speaker

Daityendra/Vajrāṅga (inner speech reported by narrator; implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The daitya-lord speaks as if citing śāstra: a palm-leaf manuscript or a sage-like counselor is suggested; he gestures toward his heart and then toward Varāṅgī, indicating compassion and duty; the mood is sober and principled.

Characters & Entities

• Śāstra (teachings)
• Kalatra (wife)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śāstra-guided life emphasizes compassion in relationships; gṛhastha-dharma includes caring for one’s spouse.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse frames ethical duty via āśrama-dharma.