Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

अहं पतिव्रता मूढ वहामि शिरसा धृतम् । तीर्थयात्राकृते कांतं विकलांगं सुवल्लभम्

Transliteration

ahaṃ pativratā mūḍha vahāmi śirasā dhṛtam | tīrthayātrākṛte kāṃtaṃ vikalāṃgaṃ suvallabham

Translation

Ich, eine dem Ehegelübde treu ergebene Frau—so töricht ich auch bin—trage meinen geliebten Gatten, an den Gliedern verkrüppelt, auf meinem Haupt, um der Pilgerfahrt zu den heiligen Tīrthas willen.

Word by Word

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• pativratā: devoted to (my) husband
• pativratā: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pati (प्रातिपदिक) + vratā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (पतेः व्रता/पतिव्रता); स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• mūḍha: foolish (woman)
• mūḍha: Karta (Self-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mūḍha (प्रातिपदिक; √muh-क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे सम्बोधन/प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (पाठानुसारं स्त्रीप्रथमा ‘मूढा’ अपेक्ष्य; अत्र रूपं ‘मूढ’ इति); विशेषणम्

• vahāmi: I carry
• vahāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vah (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• śirasā: on/with (my) head
• śirasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Instrumental singular)

• dhṛtam: borne, held
• dhṛtam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhṛ (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया/प्रथमा-एकवचनम्; ‘borne/held’ (qualifying implied object)

• tīrthayātrākṛte: for a pilgrimage
• tīrthayātrākṛte: Karma (Qualifier of object/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + yātrā (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (तीर्थयात्रायाः कृते = for pilgrimage); पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (qualifying kāntam)

• kāntam: (my) beloved husband
• kāntam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kānta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• vikalāṅgam: crippled, with impaired limbs
• vikalāṅgam: Karma (Qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-kala (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समासः (विकलानि अङ्गानि यस्य); पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (qualifying kāntam)

• suvallabham: very dear
• suvallabham: Karma (Qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + vallabha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (very dear)

Speaker

Dīrghikā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devoted wife carries her disabled husband on her head, walking toward sacred sites; her posture is steady, face resolute, the husband frail yet trusting; the road suggests a tīrtha route with distant shrine/river.

Characters & Entities

• Dīrghikā
• tīrthayātrā (pilgrimage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is portrayed as lived dharma—sacrifice, service, and steadfast love become the spiritual offering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader tīrtha-ideal is invoked, with the immediate narrative anchored in Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pilgrimage (tīrthayātrā) is the implied practice; no specific snāna/dāna/japa is stated in this verse.