Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 118

Devanagari script

अजल्पमानाकरुणं निक्षिप्तं ज्ञोलिकां शिशुम् । शुश्रूषणे रता साध्वी प्रियस्य च नराधिप

Transliteration

ajalpamānākaruṇaṃ nikṣiptaṃ jñolikāṃ śiśum | śuśrūṣaṇe ratā sādhvī priyasya ca narādhipa

Translation

Sans dire un mot et sans plainte apparente, elle plaça l’enfant dans un sac ; cette femme vertueuse, ô roi, toute vouée au service, demeura attachée à son bien-aimé.

Word by Word

• a-jalpa-mānā: not speaking (silent)
• a-jalpa-mānā: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (नञ्) + jalp (धातु) + śatṛ/śānac (कृदन्त)
• Form: नञ्-समासपूर्वक वर्तमानकाले शानच्/शतृ कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• a-karuṇam: pitiless/without compassion
• a-karuṇam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (नञ्) + karuṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नञ्-पूर्वक विशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; (śiśum) विशेषणम्

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

• jñolikām: a sack/bag (jñolikā)
• jñolikām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñolikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• śiśum: the child
• śiśum: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiśu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• śuśrūṣaṇe: in service/attendance
• śuśrūṣaṇe: Adhikaraṇa (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuśrūṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (locative)

• ratā: devoted/engaged
• ratā: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

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

• priyasya: of (her) beloved
• priyasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

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

• narādhipa: O king
• narādhipa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक) + adhipa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: narādhipa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The woman, silent and outwardly unweeping, places the child into a bag; her posture is controlled, eyes lowered; the act is both tender and chilling in its restraint.

Characters & Entities

• King (listener, unnamed)
• wife (unnamed)
• child (unnamed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It contrasts inner sorrow with outer composure, illustrating disciplined duty even amid unbearable personal loss.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised in this verse; it remains within the Revā Khaṇḍa story framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the action is narrative (placing the child aside), not a formal rite.