Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

बभूव भार्यात्रितयं पतिशुश्रूषणे रतम् । ज्येष्ठा त्रीन्सुषुवे पुत्रान्वैश्यवंशविवर्द्धनान्

Transliteration

babhūva bhāryātritayaṃ patiśuśrūṣaṇe ratam | jyeṣṭhā trīnsuṣuve putrānvaiśyavaṃśavivarddhanān

Translation

Il eut trois épouses, toutes vouées au service de leur seigneur. L’aînée enfanta trois fils qui firent prospérer la lignée vaiśya.

Word by Word

• babhūva: became/was
• babhūva: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); परस्मैपदम्

• bhāryā-tritayam: a triad of wives
• bhāryā-tritayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāryā (प्रातिपदिक) + tritaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भāryāṇāṃ tritayam)

• pati-śuśrūṣaṇe: in service to (her) husband
• pati-śuśrūṣaṇe: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati (प्रातिपदिक) + śuśrūṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (pateḥ śuśrūṣaṇe)

• ratam: devoted/engaged
• ratam: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rata (प्रातिपदिक; √ram/रम्-धातु से निष्पन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participial adjective)

• jyeṣṭhā: the eldest (wife)
• jyeṣṭhā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jyeṣṭhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• trīn: three
• trīn: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक/संख्या)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (plural); संख्यावाचक विशेषण

• suṣuve: gave birth (to)
• suṣuve: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sū (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); आत्मनेपदम्

• putrān: sons
• putrān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (plural)

• vaiśya-vaṃśa-vivarddhanān: increasers of the Vaiśya lineage
• vaiśya-vaṃśa-vivarddhanān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaiśya (प्रातिपदिक) + vaṃśa (प्रातिपदिक) + vivarddhana (प्रातिपदिक; √vṛdh/वृध्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (vaiśyasya vaṃśasya vivarddhanāḥ)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra (Setu)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-sattama (addressed Brahmin interlocutor)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A prosperous Vaiśya household: three wives seated with modest ornaments, the husband honored; the eldest wife with three infants/young boys symbolizing lineage expansion.

Characters & Entities

• Paśumān
• Vaiśya lineage

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic storytelling often frames dharma through household stability, duty, and continuity of righteous lineage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader chapter glorifies Agnitīrtha; this verse provides genealogical context within that Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it describes household order and conduct.