Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

उक्ता प्रत्युत्तरं दद्यान्नारी या क्रोधत त्परा । सरमा जायते ग्रामे शृगाली निर्जने वने

Transliteration

uktā pratyuttaraṃ dadyānnārī yā krodhata tparā | saramā jāyate grāme śṛgālī nirjane vane

Translation

La femme qui, lorsqu’on l’instruit, réplique avec colère, est dite renaître comme chienne au village, ou comme chacal dans une forêt déserte.

Word by Word

• उक्ता: when addressed / spoken to
• उक्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि-क्त (past passive participle: “having been spoken to/when addressed”)

• प्रत्युत्तरम्: a retort / reply
• प्रत्युत्तरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रति (उपसर्ग) + उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (praty-uttara = “counter-answer”)

• दद्यात्: should give / utter
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (should give/utter)

• नारी: woman
• नारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (fem. nominative singular)

• या: who
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम (relative: “who”)

• क्रोधतः: from anger
• क्रोधतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (ablative of cause: “from/through anger”)

• तत्परा: intent on that / devoted to (anger)
• तत्परा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक) + टाप् (स्त्रीप्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (tat-parā = “intent on that”, here: intent on anger/retorting)

• सरमा: a female dog (Saramā)
• सरमा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (fem. nominative singular)

• जायते: is born
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (is born/becomes)

• ग्रामे: in a village
• ग्रामे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masc. locative singular)

• शृगाली: a female jackal
• शृगाली: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृगालिन्/शृगाल (प्रातिपदिक) + ङीप् (स्त्रीप्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (fem. nominative singular)

• निर्जने: deserted
• निर्जने: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् (उपसर्ग) + जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; निर्जन-तत्पुरुष (locative singular; qualifying वने)

• वने: in a forest
• वने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter locative singular)

Speaker

Unspecified (Dharmāraṇya narrative voice; didactic instruction in context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral tableau: a woman answers back in anger to an elder’s instruction; the next panel shows symbolic rebirth as a dog in a village street and as a jackal in a lonely forest.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Anger and disrespectful speech are condemned; restraint in response is presented as essential to dharmic living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is mentioned; the verse uses karmic imagery to reinforce ethical discipline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it is a behavioral warning about angry retorts and their negative karmic consequences.