Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

अनया रहिताहं च न जीवामि कथंचन । एतस्मात्कारणाद्देवि प्ररोदिमि सुदुःखिता

Transliteration

anayā rahitāhaṃ ca na jīvāmi kathaṃcana | etasmātkāraṇāddevi prarodimi suduḥkhitā

Translation

„Ohne sie kann ich auf keine Weise leben. Darum, o Herrin, weine ich, von tiefstem Kummer überwältigt.“

Word by Word

• anayā: by this (woman/one)
• anayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण) विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक (इदम्)

• rahitā: deprived (of), without
• rahitā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rahita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (वियुक्ता)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• jīvāmi: I live
• jīvāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jīv (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• kathaṃcana: in any way; at all
• kathaṃcana: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kathaṃcana (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/न्यूनता-बोधक (adverb: ‘in any way/at all’)

• etasmāt: from this
• etasmāt: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान) विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक (एतद्)

• kāraṇāt: because of the reason/cause
• kāraṇāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• devi: O goddess/lady
• devi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative) विभक्ति, एकवचन

• prarodimi: I weep; I cry out
• prarodimi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: rud (धातु) + pra (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग-पूर्वक धातु (प्र+रुद्)

• suduḥkhitā: deeply sorrowful
• suduḥkhitā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + duḥkhita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (अतिशय-दुःखिता)

Speaker

Unspecified young woman (likely the friend addressing Mṛgāvatī as ‘devi’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A young woman, tearful and trembling, confides to an elder lady (queen/mother-figure), hands clasped, expressing inability to live without her companion; attendants and palace interior hinted softly.

Characters & Entities

• devi (lady/queen)
• friendship bond

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Attachment and love are powerful; dharmic life requires guiding such bonds toward a sustainable, righteous arrangement.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.