Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

गुणदोषोद्भवां वार्तामापृच्छ्याकथयत्तथा । सा च तौ दंपती दृष्ट्वा संहृष्टावितरेतरम्

Transliteration

guṇadoṣodbhavāṃ vārtāmāpṛcchyākathayattathā | sā ca tau daṃpatī dṛṣṭvā saṃhṛṣṭāvitaretaram

Translation

Nachdem er gefragt hatte, sprach er mit ihr über Dinge, die aus Tugenden und Fehlern hervorgehen. Und sie, als sie das Ehepaar sah, wie es sich aneinander erfreute, erkannte ihre gegenseitige Freude.

Word by Word

• गुण-दोष-उद्भवाम्: arising from merits and faults
• गुण-दोष-उद्भवाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + दोष (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भव (उद्-√भू धातु, घञ्/भाववाचक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (गुणदोषयोः उद्भवा)

• वार्ताम्: conversation/news
• वार्ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वार्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• आपृच्छ्य: having asked
• आपृच्छ्य: Kriya-viseshana (Absolutive/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√पृच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); क्रियाविशेषण (पूर्वकर्म)

• अकथयत्: he/she told
• अकथयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तथा: thus/in that manner
• तथा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• तौ: those two/them both
• तौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), द्विवचन; सर्वनाम

• दम्पती: the couple (husband and wife)
• दम्पती: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दम्पती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), द्विवचन (दम्पती-शब्दः द्विवचनान्तः)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Absolutive/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)

• संहृष्टौ: delighted (both)
• संहृष्टौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संहृष्ट (सम्-√हृष् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त विशेषण

• इतर-इतरम्: mutually/each other
• इतर-इतरम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इतर (प्रातिपदिक) + इतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial) अर्थे ‘परस्परम्’

Speaker

Sūta (continued narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa sages (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A husband converses with his wife about virtues and faults; an observing woman notices their mutual delight and harmony.

Characters & Entities

• Śāṇḍilī
• Kātyāyanī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is learned through inquiry and reflection on guṇa (virtue) and doṣa (fault), and through observing exemplary conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified in this verse; it is part of the didactic narrative within Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it centers on ethical discourse.