Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 147

Devanagari script

सभार्यः स सुतामाप्त उवाच च महासतीम् । मा खिद्यतां महादेवि तपसानेन भामिनि

Transliteration

sabhāryaḥ sa sutāmāpta uvāca ca mahāsatīm | mā khidyatāṃ mahādevi tapasānena bhāmini

Translation

Er—Himālaya—kam dorthin mit seiner Gemahlin und sprach zur großen Satī: „O Mahādevī, betrübe dich nicht wegen dieser Askese, o Strahlende.“

Word by Word

• स-भार्यः: with his wife
• स-भार्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāryā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—भार्या अस्य अस्ति इति (one who has a wife)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Pronoun; nominative singular masculine)

• सुताम्: daughter
• सुताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sutā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular feminine)

• आप्तः: having obtained
• आप्तः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āp (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (past participle: having obtained)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (3rd person singular perfect)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• महा-सतीम्: the great virtuous lady
• महा-सतीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + satī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—महती सती (कर्मधारय)

• मा: do not
• मा: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mā (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (prohibitive particle)

• खिद्यताम्: be distressed
• खिद्यताम्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: khid (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ/imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (2nd person singular; passive-like sense possible)

• महा-देवि: O great goddess
• महा-देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—महती देवी (कर्मधारय)

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular neuter)

• अनेन: by this
• अनेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular neuter); विशेषणम् (this)

• भामिनि: O fair lady
• भामिनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāminī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Vocative singular feminine)

Speaker

Himālaya (to Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra tapas-sthala (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Himavat with Menā approaches the emaciated yet radiant Pārvatī; he raises a hand in blessing and speaks gently, urging her not to grieve.

Characters & Entities

• Himālaya
• Menā (implied by ‘with wife’)
• Pārvatī (Mahāsatī/Mahādevī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas often show the tension between worldly care and spiritual striving—compassionate counsel meets unwavering devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative is embedded in the Kedāra-khaṇḍa’s Himalayan sacred setting connected with Kedāra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a conversational moment addressing the hardship of tapas.