Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

न जातोऽस्याः पतिर्भद्रे वर्तते च कुलक्षणः । नग्नोऽतिनिर्धनः क्रोधीवृतः क्रूरैश्च सर्वदा

Transliteration

na jāto'syāḥ patirbhadre vartate ca kulakṣaṇaḥ | nagno'tinirdhanaḥ krodhīvṛtaḥ krūraiśca sarvadā

Translation

“O gentle lady, her husband has not yet been born; and yet the family-signs are already manifest: he will be unclad, exceedingly poor, quick to anger, and always surrounded by cruel companions.”

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• जातः: born
• जातः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रियाविशेष)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; अर्थः—‘born/produced’

• अस्याः: of her
• अस्याः: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पतिः: husband
• पतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• भद्रे: O auspicious lady / dear one
• भद्रे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; संबोधन-प्रयोग (vocative)

• वर्तते: exists/continues
• वर्तते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत्/वर्त् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कुलक्षणः: ill-omened / of bad character
• कुलक्षणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कु (निन्दार्थ-उपसर्ग) + लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; अर्थः—‘कु-लक्षणः’ (bad-marked/ill-omened)

• नग्नः: naked
• नग्नः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नग्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण

• अतिनिर्धनः: extremely poor
• अतिनिर्धनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (अव्यय-पूर्वपद) + निर्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; अर्थः—‘अत्यन्तं निर्धनः’

• क्रोधी: wrathful
• क्रोधी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रोधिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; इन्-प्रत्ययान्त; विशेषण

• वृतः: surrounded
• वृतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रियाविशेष)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; अर्थः—‘surrounded/covered’

• क्रूरैः: by cruel (people)
• क्रूरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Narrator/Seer figure

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Himācala (Himavat)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A prophetic description paints the future husband as a stark ascetic: unclad, extremely poor, quick-tempered, accompanied by fierce beings—hinting at Śiva with gaṇas.

Characters & Entities

• Queen of Himācala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic storytelling often uses stark predictions to highlight karmic complexity and the limits of worldly expectations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse centers on a personal prophecy, not sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes foretold traits rather than prescribing a vow or pilgrimage.