Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

स्वधया स्वाहया सार्धं सदा दुःखसमन्वितः । नैवाप्स्यसि परं सौख्यं सर्वकालं यथा पुरा

Transliteration

svadhayā svāhayā sārdhaṃ sadā duḥkhasamanvitaḥ | naivāpsyasi paraṃ saukhyaṃ sarvakālaṃ yathā purā

Translation

Along with Svadhā and Svāhā, you will ever be beset with sorrow; never again, at any time, will you attain the supreme happiness as you once did.

Word by Word

• स्वधया: with Svadhā
• स्वधया: Sahakarana (Association/सहकारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svadhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — instrumental ‘with svadhā’

• स्वाहया: with Svāhā
• स्वाहया: Sahakarana (Association/सहकारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svāhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — instrumental ‘with svāhā’

• सार्धम्: together
• सार्धम्: Sahakarana (Association/सहकारक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sārdham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सहभाववाचक) — ‘together with’

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) — ‘always’

• दुःखसमन्वितः: accompanied by sorrow
• दुःखसमन्वितः: Predicative (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक) + sam-anvita (अन्/इ धातु?; anvita as kta from anu-√i/√vī? lexical)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘endowed with sorrow’; समासः (तत्पुरुषः: दुःखेन समन्वितः)

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण) — ‘indeed/only’

• आप्स्यसि: you will obtain
• आप्स्यसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Future), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन — ‘you will obtain’

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — adjective qualifying सौख्यम्

• सौख्यम्: happiness
• सौख्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saukhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — object

• सर्वकालम्: at all times
• सर्वकालम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः — ‘at all times’ (accusative used adverbially)

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमान/रीति) — ‘as/just as’

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) — ‘formerly/before’

Speaker

Unspecified (curse continuation; context suggests address to Agni, who is associated with Svāhā; Svadhā linked with Pitṛ offerings)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agni flanked by personified Svāhā and Svadhā (two feminine deities), all three shown with downcast expressions; flames subdued; a shadow of sorrow over the yajña space.

Characters & Entities

• Svadhā
• Svāhā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred roles and mantric associations do not protect one who violates dharma; moral failure yields lasting distress.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references the ritual utterances/personifications Svāhā and Svadhā, but gives no prescriptive rite.