Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

काकवंध्याऽपि या नारी तत्र स्नानं समाचरेत् । सा पुत्रान्विविधांल्लब्ध्वा स्वर्गलोके महीयते

Transliteration

kākavaṃdhyā'pi yā nārī tatra snānaṃ samācaret | sā putrānvividhāṃllabdhvā svargaloke mahīyate

Translation

Selbst eine Frau, die als unfruchtbar gilt: vollzieht sie dort das Bad, so erlangt sie Söhne mancherlei Art und wird in der Himmelswelt geehrt.

Word by Word

• काकवंध्या: (a woman) barren like a crow
• काकवंध्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काक + वंध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (kāka-iva vaṃdhyā: ‘barren like a crow’/‘so-called barren’)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (even)

• या: who; whichever
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• नारी: woman
• नारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• समाचरेत्: should perform
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; संकेत/अन्वयार्थक सर्वनाम (correlative ‘she’)

• पुत्रान्: sons
• पुत्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन

• विविधान्: various; many kinds of
• विविधान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘पुत्रान्’)

• लब्ध्वा: having obtained
• लब्ध्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: लभ् (धातु) + त्वा (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having obtained)

• स्वर्गलोके: in heaven-world
• स्वर्गलोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (world of heaven)

• महीयते: is honored; is glorified
• महीयते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present); आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग (is honored/glorified)

Speaker

Sūta (contextual attribution within Tīrthamāhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vijayā-kuṇḍa

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis / dvijāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A woman devotee emerges from the sacred pond, hands folded; behind her, symbolic imagery of children (sons) and a celestial scene indicating honor in svarga; sages witness the event.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic tīrtha is celebrated as compassionate and transformative, granting progeny and higher worlds through sincere observance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The exact tīrtha is referenced as ‘there’ (tatra) within Adhyāya 154; the name is not included in this isolated verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at the praised tīrtha is prescribed.