Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 117

Devanagari script

भार्या तस्यैव या दृष्टा चित्तज्ञा वशवर्तिनी । दृष्ट्वा निपातितं पुत्रं काष्ठैर्निर्भिन्नमस्तकम्

Transliteration

bhāryā tasyaiva yā dṛṣṭā cittajñā vaśavartinī | dṛṣṭvā nipātitaṃ putraṃ kāṣṭhairnirbhinnamastakam

Translation

Su esposa—perspicaz y dócil a la voluntad del esposo—vio al hijo caído, con la cabeza destrozada por los leños.

Word by Word

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

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (genitive)

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha/Emphasis (Nipāta)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (restrictive/emphatic particle)

• yā: who
• yā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• dṛṣṭā: was seen
• dṛṣṭā: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु) + kta-pratyaya (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• cittajñā: knowing the mind (perceptive)
• cittajñā: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: citta (प्रातिपदिक) + jña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (cittasya jñā); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• vaśavartinī: submissive/obedient
• vaśavartinī: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaśa (प्रातिपदिक) + vartinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (vaśe vartinī); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु) + क्त्वा
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया

• nipātitam: fallen/struck down
• nipātitam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni-pat (धातु) + kta-pratyaya (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle used adjectivally); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• putram: the son
• putram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• kāṣṭhaiḥ: with pieces of wood
• kāṣṭhaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• nirbhinna-mastakam: with head split open
• nirbhinna-mastakam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir-bhid (धातु) + kta (कृदन्त) + mastaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (nirbhinnaṃ mastakaṃ yasya/tat); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: narādhipa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The wife discovers the child fallen, head crushed by logs; her face shows controlled shock; the scene is intimate, tragic, and still.

Characters & Entities

• Govinda (implied)
• wife (unnamed)
• son (unnamed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It presents the shock of loss, setting the stage for teachings on endurance, dharma, and the limits of worldly security.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is identified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes the discovery of the tragedy.