Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

पतिं जघान तं सुप्तं कस्मिंश्चित्कारणान्तरे । गत्वा निवेदयामास पितरं रत्नवल्लभम्

Transliteration

patiṃ jaghāna taṃ suptaṃ kasmiṃścitkāraṇāntare | gatvā nivedayāmāsa pitaraṃ ratnavallabham

Translation

Con algún pretexto, mató a su esposo mientras dormía. Luego fue y se lo comunicó a su padre, Ratnavallabha.

Word by Word

• पतिम्: husband
• पतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जघान: killed; struck down
• जघान: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सुप्तम्: sleeping
• सुप्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुप्त (प्रातिपदिक; √स्वप्-क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying तम्/पतिम्)

• कस्मिन्: in what
• कस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• चित्: some; certain
• चित्: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—अनिश्चिततावाचक (indefinite particle ‘some’)

• कारणान्तरे: in some other circumstance/reason
• कारणान्तरे: Adhikarana (Circumstance/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कारणस्य अन्तरे (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having gone’

• निवेदयामास: reported; informed
• निवेदयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + विद् (धातु) (णिच्)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative)

• पितरम्: father
• पितरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रत्नवल्लभम्: dear to Ratnā / beloved of Ratnā
• रत्नवल्लभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रत्न + वल्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—रत्नस्य वल्लभः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); विशेषणम् (qualifying पितरम्)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Alikā-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: a king (nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night in an āśrama hut: the sage sleeps peacefully; Alikā stands over him with a weapon or poisonous intent, face conflicted yet hardened; afterward she walks toward a celestial mansion to report to Ratnavallabha, the path lit by a cold moon.

Characters & Entities

• Vidyānanda Ṛṣi (implied husband)
• Ratnavallabha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Grave adharma brings severe consequences; tīrtha-māhātmya narratives often show how sin leads to suffering and eventual seeking of purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is within the Alikā Tīrtha māhātmya storyline in Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse describes the transgression that necessitates later purification through sacred geography.