Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

नरो हि गृहिणीहीनो अर्धदेह इति स्मृतः । यथात्मना विना देहे कार्यं किंचिन्न सिध्यति

Transliteration

naro hi gṛhiṇīhīno ardhadeha iti smṛtaḥ | yathātmanā vinā dehe kāryaṃ kiṃcinna sidhyati

Translation

En vérité, l’homme sans épouse est tenu en mémoire comme « au corps à moitié ». De même qu’un corps sans l’ātman n’accomplit aucune œuvre, ainsi, dans une telle incomplétude, les devoirs de la vie n’atteignent pas leur accomplissement.

Word by Word

• नरः: man
• नरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• गृहिणीहीनः: without a wife
• गृहिणीहीनः: Visheshana (विशेषण) of नरः
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गृहिणी (प्रातिपदिक) + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (gṛhiṇyāḥ hīnaḥ = 'devoid of a wife')

• अर्धदेहः: half a body
• अर्धदेहः: Pratijñā/Predicate nominative (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (अर्धः देहः = 'half-body')

• इति: thus
• इति: Quotation marker (उक्तिसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• स्मृतः: is regarded
• स्मृतः: Kriyā (predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि-प्रत्यय (PPP/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे 'is considered/remembered'

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'as/just as')

• आत्मना: by the self
• आत्मना: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Apādāna/Exclusion (अपादान/वियोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: उपपद-अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable) governing तृतीया/पञ्चमी; here with तृतीया

• देहे: in the body
• देहे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• कार्यं: work, function
• कार्यं: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; here as subject of सिध्यति

• किंचित्: anything
• किंचित्: Karta (कर्ता) (qualifier of कार्यम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किंचित् (सर्वनाम/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अनिश्चितपरिमाणवाचक (indefinite pronoun)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• सिध्यति: succeeds/gets accomplished
• सिध्यति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सिध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Same narrator (didactic voice) within Sūta’s discourse (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative teacher-figure instructs a pilgrim/householder: the human body shown with a luminous ātman at the heart; beside it, a couple performing a small homa, indicating ‘sahadharma’.

Characters & Entities

• Ātman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Householder life is portrayed as a dharmic partnership; without it, worldly and ritual duties are considered incomplete.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the teaching is ethical and āśrama-based.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; it frames the necessity of household order for sustaining dharmic works.