Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

साऽपि तस्य सती भार्या कृत्वा मृत्युविनिश्चयम् । तमुवाच सुतं दृष्ट्वा सर्वं दत्त्वा गृहादिकम्

Transliteration

sā'pi tasya satī bhāryā kṛtvā mṛtyuviniścayam | tamuvāca sutaṃ dṛṣṭvā sarvaṃ dattvā gṛhādikam

Translation

His virtuous wife too, having resolved upon death, spoke to him—after seeing her son—having given away everything, including the house and the rest.

Word by Word

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थे

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• satī: virtuous
• satī: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: satī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण (पतिव्रता/साध्वी)

• bhāryā: wife
• bhāryā: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāryā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• kṛtvā: having made
• kṛtvā: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु) + त्वा (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• mṛtyu-viniścayam: decision about death
• mṛtyu-viniścayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛtyu (प्रातिपदिक) + viniścaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मृत्योः विनिश्चयः)

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• sutam: (to) the son
• sutam: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे कर्मरूपेण

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु) + त्वा (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• sarvam: everything
• sarvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• dattvā: having given
• dattvā: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु) + त्वा (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• gṛha-ādikam: house and the like
• gṛha-ādikam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक) + ādika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारय-प्रायः (गृहं च आदिकं च—‘house etc.’ अर्थे)

Speaker

Sūta (narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dignified wife, calm yet sorrowful, stands after donating household items; she looks at her son with maternal tenderness, then addresses her husband with firm resolve.

Characters & Entities

• wife
• husband
• son

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is not merely abandonment of possessions; it must culminate in right purification and right counsel rather than despair.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode belongs to a tīrtha-māhātmya that culminates in the purifying power of Viṣṇupadī Gaṅgā within this sacred region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Complete charity/renunciation is implied by giving away house and possessions; subsequent verses prescribe tīrtha-bathing as the proper means to attain śuddhi.