Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

पश्चिमे वयसि प्राप्ते अपत्यरहितस्य च । ववृधे सा च तन्वङ्गी चन्द्रलेखा यथा तथा

Transliteration

paścime vayasi prāpte apatyarahitasya ca | vavṛdhe sā ca tanvaṅgī candralekhā yathā tathā

Translation

Lorsqu’il parvint au dernier âge de la vie et demeura sans descendance, elle—aux membres graciles—grandit telle une fine traînée de clarté lunaire.

Word by Word

• पश्चिमे: in the later
• पश्चिमे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वयसि)

• वयसि: age
• वयसि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• प्राप्ते: when (it was) reached
• प्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), सति-सप्तमी

• अपत्यरहितस्य: of (him) who was without offspring
• अपत्यरहितस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपत्य-रहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; अपत्येन रहितः इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (वियोगार्थ)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ववृधे: grew/increased
• ववृधे: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृध् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तन्वङ्गी: slender-limbed
• तन्वङ्गी: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तनु-अङ्गिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: तनूनि अङ्गानि यस्याः

• चन्द्रलेखा: a moon-streak (crescent)
• चन्द्रलेखा: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र-लेखा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; चन्द्रस्य लेखा इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; उपमा-प्रयोगे

• यथा: as/like
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparison marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (comparative adverb: ‘as/like’)

• तथा: so/thus
• तथा: Sambandha (Correlative/तथा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: तदनुरूप्यवाचक-अव्यय (correlative adverb: ‘so/thus’)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A slender young girl growing gracefully; behind her a night sky with a thin crescent or delicate moon-streak; the elderly father watching with relief and tenderness; atmosphere of quiet hope.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic stories often frame unexpected blessings—like progeny in later life—as outcomes aligned with dharma and sacred merit.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it continues the narrative context within a tīrtha-focused chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated here.