Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

क्लान्ता वैक्लव्यमापन्ना भाराक्रान्ता पतिव्रता । निद्रान्धा निश्वसन्ती च प्रस्खलन्ती पदेपदे

Transliteration

klāntā vaiklavyamāpannā bhārākrāntā pativratā | nidrāndhā niśvasantī ca praskhalantī padepade

Translation

Erschöpft und von Schwäche überwältigt, war jene treue Gattin—von der Last bedrückt—vom Schlummer wie geblendet, rang nach Atem und stolperte bei jedem Schritt.

Word by Word

• klāntā: weary
• klāntā: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: klānta (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from klam धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• vaiklavyam: helplessness/weakness
• vaiklavyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiklavyam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• āpannā: having fallen into/afflicted by
• āpannā: Karta (State/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + pad (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• bhārākrāntā: weighed down by burden
• bhārākrāntā: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhāra (प्रातिपदिक) + ākrānta (कृदन्त from ā + kram धातु)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तृतीया/हेतौ: 'bhāreṇa ākrāntā'); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• pativratā: a devoted wife
• pativratā: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati (प्रातिपदिक) + vratā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: 'pateḥ vratā' = devoted to husband); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• nidrāndhā: blinded by sleep/drowsy
• nidrāndhā: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nidrā (प्रातिपदिक) + andha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तृतीया/हेतौ: 'nidrayā andhā'); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• niśvasantī: breathing/sighing
• niśvasantī: Karta (Participial/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni + śvas (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (शतृ); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

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

• praskhalantī: stumbling
• praskhalantī: Karta (Participial/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + skhal (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (शतृ); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• pade: at a step
• pade: Adhikarana (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति-योगे अव्ययीभावार्थ (idiom: 'at every step')

• pade: at every step
• pade: Adhikarana (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (pade pade)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Mahātmya-style narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (approach)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience (not specified)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A weary pativratā woman at night, bent under a heavy burden, eyes half-closed with drowsiness, breath visible in the cool air, stumbling repeatedly along a dim path toward the sacred precinct.

Characters & Entities

• pativratā (ideal of marital dharma)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steadfast dharma is shown through endurance—devotion persists even when the body fails.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The context continues toward Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra, where the ensuing encounter becomes spiritually significant.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse emphasizes the austerity-like hardship of travel as part of the sacred journey.