Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

अहो सुदुष्करं देवी कुरुते मे प्रिया वधूः । या भर्तृश्रियमुल्लंघ्य तप एव समाश्रिता

Transliteration

aho suduṣkaraṃ devī kurute me priyā vadhūḥ | yā bhartṛśriyamullaṃghya tapa eva samāśritā

Translation

Alas—my beloved wife, that noble lady, is doing something exceedingly difficult: disregarding the splendor and comforts of her husband’s fortune, she has taken refuge in austerity alone.

Word by Word

• अहो: ah!, alas!/oh!
• अहो: Sambodhana/Prayojaka (Exclamation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्गार-अव्यय (interjection/exclamation)

• सुदुष्करम्: very difficult
• सुदुष्करम्: Karma (Object-complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (neuter nominative/accusative singular); विशेषण

• देवी: the lady/wife (goddess-like)
• देवी: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (feminine nominative singular)

• कुरुते: does, performs
• कुरुते: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (present indicative, 3rd sg, middle)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी एकवचन (genitive singular)

• प्रियā: beloved
• प्रियā: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण

• वधूः: bride, wife
• वधूः: Karta (Subject; apposition to देवी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वधू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (feminine nominative singular)

• या: who
• या: Karta (Subject of subordinate clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (relative pronoun)

• भर्तृश्रियम्: husband’s prosperity/splendour
• भर्तृश्रियम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक) + श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (feminine accusative singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भर्तुः श्रीः)

• उल्लङ्घ्य: having overstepped/ignored
• उल्लङ्घ्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + लङ्घ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (having overstepped)

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (neuter accusative singular)

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• समाश्रिता: has resorted to, has taken refuge in
• समाश्रिता: Karta (Predicate adjective of या)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे (one who has resorted to)

Speaker

Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira), addressing Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king speaks with astonished tenderness about his wife who has renounced royal comforts and embraced austerity; the contrast of palace opulence and ascetic simplicity is central.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmarāja
• Keśava
• wife of Dharmarāja

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity rooted in higher spiritual aims is honored even when it surpasses ordinary expectations of household comfort.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is referenced in this verse; the emphasis is on tapas and dharmic resolve.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is indicated generally, but no specific vrata, dāna, or japa is detailed.