Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

उभयोः पक्षयोर्यस्याः स्त्रीणां कांता यथेप्सिताः । शौचाचारपरित्यक्ता धर्मकृत्यपराङ्मुखाः

Transliteration

ubhayoḥ pakṣayoryasyāḥ strīṇāṃ kāṃtā yathepsitāḥ | śaucācāraparityaktā dharmakṛtyaparāṅmukhāḥ

Translation

Auf beiden Seiten ihrer Abstammung sind die von den Frauen begehrten Männer, wie es ihnen gefällt: Sie haben Reinheit und rechte Lebensführung aufgegeben und sich von den Pflichten des Dharma abgewandt.

Word by Word

• उभयोः: of both
• उभयोः: Sambandha (genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; द्विवचन (genitive dual)

• पक्षयोः: of the two sides/parties
• पक्षयोः: Sambandha (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; द्विवचन

• यस्याः: of whom; whose
• यस्याः: Sambandha (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; एकवचन (relative pronoun)

• स्त्रीणाम्: of women
• स्त्रीणाम्: Sambandha (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• कान्ताः: beloveds; husbands
• कान्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/उपमानार्थक (as/according to)

• ईप्सिताः: desired
• ईप्सिताः: Karta (subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईप्सित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; ‘desired’

• शौचाचारपरित्यक्ताः: having abandoned purity and proper conduct
• शौचाचारपरित्यक्ताः: Karta (subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शौच-आचार-परित्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शौचाचारं परित्यक्ताः)

• धर्मकृत्यपराङ्मुखाः: turned away from religious duties
• धर्मकृत्यपराङ्मुखाः: Karta (subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म-कृत्य-पराङ्मुख (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (धर्मकृत्येभ्यः पराङ्मुखाः)

Speaker

Sāvitrī (continuing her rebuke; speaker implied from immediate context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: figures representing households turning away from ritual duties—discarded water pots and kuśa, neglected altars—contrasted with the steady yajña fire in the background, symbolizing dharma versus lapse in conduct.

Characters & Entities

• Sāvitrī (implied)
• dharma
• śauca
• ācāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity (śauca) and conduct (ācāra) are portrayed as foundational to dharma; desire-driven living is condemned.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; the verse stresses śauca and dharmic duties as norms.