Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

न मे स्याद्दुखमेतद्धि यत्सापत्न्यमुपस्थितम् । सहस्रमपि नारीणां पुरुषाणां यथा भवेत्

Transliteration

na me syāddukhametaddhi yatsāpatnyamupasthitam | sahasramapi nārīṇāṃ puruṣāṇāṃ yathā bhavet

Translation

No sería éste mi dolor—que haya aparecido una coesposa; pues los hombres pueden tener incluso mil mujeres, como es sabido.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• me: for me / of me
• me: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (Gen. 6) / चतुर्थी (Dat. 4) एकवचन (sg) रूप; अत्र स्वाम्य/सम्बन्धे (of me)

• syāt: would be
• syāt: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (sg); परस्मैपद

• duḥkham: sorrow; pain
• duḥkham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc. 1/2), एकवचन (sg)

• etat: this
• etat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (एतद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc. 1/2), एकवचन (sg)

• hi: indeed; for
• hi: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), हेतौ/निश्चये (indeed/for)

• yat: because; that
• yat: Sambandha (Clause linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yad (यद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक यद्-शब्दः; अत्र अव्ययवत् (relative particle) ‘यत्’ = because/that

• sāpatnyam: co-wife-hood; rivalry of co-wives
• sāpatnyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāpatnya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc. 1/2), एकवचन (sg)

• upasthitam: has occurred; is present
• upasthitam: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमाना)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: upa-sthā (उप-स्था धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘उपस्थित’ = arrived/present

• sahasram: a thousand
• sahasram: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc. 1/2), एकवचन (sg)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• nārīṇām: of women
• nārīṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f), षष्ठी (Gen. 6), बहुवचन (pl)

• puruṣāṇām: of men
• puruṣāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m), षष्ठी (Gen. 6), बहुवचन (pl)

• yathā: as; just as
• yathā: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (comparative/manner adverb)

• bhavet: would be; might occur
• bhavet: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (sg); परस्मैपद

Speaker

Unspecified (likely a female speaker within the narrative, voicing distress and social argumentation)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A woman speaks with controlled composure, hand raised in explanation, while a man stands aside; behind them, a symbolic backdrop shows many female silhouettes (the ‘thousand women’ trope) fading like shadows—indicating social normalization rather than celebration.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse reflects narrative-world social norms while highlighting how desire complicates household dharma and causes suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it belongs to a larger tīrtha-māhātmya chapter where ethical fitness supports pilgrimage merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is narrative speech about domestic circumstances.