Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

पतिव्रतापि तेनैव सह कांतेन सुन्दरी । सेवयामास कल्याणी स्मरसौख्यमनुत्तमम्

Transliteration

pativratāpi tenaiva saha kāṃtena sundarī | sevayāmāsa kalyāṇī smarasaukhyamanuttamam

Translation

Cette épouse de bon augure, belle et fidèle à son vœu, goûta avec son époux bien-aimé une félicité conjugale sans égale.

Word by Word

• pati-vratā: the devoted wife
• pati-vratā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati + vratā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (husband-vowed; devoted wife)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि (also/even)

• tena: with him
• tena: Saha (Companion/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle: indeed/only)

• saha: together with
• saha: Saha (Association marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-अव्यय (preposition-like: with)

• kāntena: with (her) beloved
• kāntena: Saha (Companion/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kānta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• sundarī: the beautiful woman
• sundarī: Karta (Appositive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sundarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• sevayāmāsa: enjoyed; experienced; served
• sevayāmāsa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sev (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• kalyāṇī: the auspicious lady
• kalyāṇī: Karta (Appositive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalyāṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• smara-saukhyam: the pleasure of love
• smara-saukhyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: smara + saukhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (love/eros-pleasure)

• anuttamam: unsurpassed
• anuttamam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anuttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (superlative sense: unsurpassed)

Speaker

Narrator (storytelling voice within the Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dīrghikā

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene domestic tableau: the faithful wife and her beloved husband together, their faces calm and content; the sacred pond’s blessing is felt as harmony and joy rather than spectacle.

Characters & Entities

• Pativratā (ideal wife)
• Kānta (husband/lover)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Householder happiness is portrayed as dharmically grounded—supported by fidelity (pativratā-dharma) and sacred merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly, the Dīrghikā tīrtha whose narrative frames the couple’s blessed life.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated here; it continues the narrative result (phala) of prior tīrtha practices.