Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

भर्तारं लभते कन्या तथान्या भर्तृवर्जिता । कृताकृतैश्च जायन्ते तन्निबोधस्व सुन्दरि

Transliteration

bhartāraṃ labhate kanyā tathānyā bhartṛvarjitā | kṛtākṛtaiśca jāyante tannibodhasva sundari

Translation

Una doncella obtiene esposo, mientras otra queda sin esposo. Tales frutos nacen de obras hechas y no hechas; compréndelo bien, oh hermosa.

Word by Word

• bhartāram: husband
• bhartāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhartṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• labhate: obtains
• labhate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (लभ्-धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• kanyā: maiden, girl
• kanyā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; adverb

• anyā: another (woman)
• anyā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• bhartṛ-varjitā: deprived of a husband
• bhartṛ-varjitā: Karta-visheshana (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhartṛ + varjita (वर्ज्-धातु से क्त; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; past participle used adjectivally

• kṛta-akṛtaiḥ: by deeds and non-deeds (done/undone acts)
• kṛta-akṛtaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛta (कृ-धातु क्त) + akṛta (a- + कृ-धातु क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• jāyante: arise, come to be
• jāyante: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (जन्-धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• nibodhasva: understand, know
• nibodhasva: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni + budh (बुध्-धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• sundari: O beautiful one
• sundari: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sundarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (Revā Khaṇḍa instructional voice addressing a lady)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A noble lady (addressed as sundarī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada explains karmic causality: one maiden gains a husband, another remains unmarried; the lady listener is urged to understand. Visualize contrasting fates with a didactic tone.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Life circumstances are linked to karma—both positive actions and neglected duties—and dharma is urged as the corrective.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā (Narmadā) context underlies the chapter, though no single tīrtha is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is named here; the verse explains karmic causation in preparation for the listed dānas and vratas.