Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

एतत्तात महद्दुःखमस्माकं वर्तते हृदि । यद्दौर्भाग्यं प्रसंजातं सर्वस्त्रीजनगर्हितम्

Transliteration

etattāta mahadduḥkhamasmākaṃ vartate hṛdi | yaddaurbhāgyaṃ prasaṃjātaṃ sarvastrījanagarhitam

Translation

“Dear father, a great sorrow abides within our hearts, for misfortune has arisen for us—an affront condemned by all women.”

Word by Word

• etat: this
• etat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (एतद्-सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tāta: dear father
• tāta: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• mahat: great
• mahat: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (महत्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (duḥkham-विशेषण)

• duḥkham: sorrow
• duḥkham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• asmākam: of us
• asmākam: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद्-सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• vartate: exists, remains
• vartate: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛt (वृत्-धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• hṛdi: in (the) heart
• hṛdi: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛd (हृद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• yat: that (which)
• yat: Sambandha (relative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yad (यद्-सर्वनाम)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative particle ‘that/which’)

• daurbhāgyam: misfortune
• daurbhāgyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daur-bhāgya (दौर्भाग्य-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपसर्गपूर्वक-तत्पुरुष/निष्पन्न-प्रातिपदिक; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• prasaṃjātam: has arisen
• prasaṃjātam: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra + saṃ + jan (जन्-धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; daurbhāgya-विशेषण

• sarva-strī-jana-garhitam: condemned by all womenfolk
• sarva-strī-jana-garhitam: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (सर्व) + strī (स्त्री) + jana (जन) + garhita (गर्हित)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (sarvasya strījanasya garhitam); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; daurbhāgya-विशेषण

Speaker

The daughters of Dakṣa (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: One daughter steps forward as spokesperson, hands raised in respectful address to Dakṣa, her face strained with grief; the others stand behind, echoing her sorrow, emphasizing collective dishonor.

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma within relationships brings inner torment and public censure; dharma requires fairness and restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly mentioned in this verse; it is part of a wider māhātmya narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse expresses moral anguish and social-religious reproach.