Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

रत्नावत्युवाच । न चाहं वरयिष्यामि पतिमन्यं कथंचन । दशार्णाधिपतिं मुक्त्वा श्रूयतामत्र कारणम्

Transliteration

ratnāvatyuvāca | na cāhaṃ varayiṣyāmi patimanyaṃ kathaṃcana | daśārṇādhipatiṃ muktvā śrūyatāmatra kāraṇam

Translation

Ratnāvatī dit : Je ne choisirai en aucune manière un autre époux, hormis le seigneur de Daśārṇa. Qu’on entende ici la raison.

Word by Word

• रत्नावती: Ratnāvatī
• रत्नावती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्नावती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negative particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• वरयिष्यामि: will choose
• वरयिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद; causative sense 'to choose' (वरयति)

• पतिम्: husband
• पतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अन्यम्: another
• अन्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier) of 'पतिम्'

• कथंचन: in any way; ever
• कथंचन: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकार/निषेध-प्रयोगे 'कदापि/कथमपि' (adverbial particle)

• दशार्णाधिपतिम्: the lord of Daśārṇa
• दशार्णाधिपतिम्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशार्ण + अधिपति (प्रातिपदिक); components: दशार्ण (देश-नाम) + अधिपति (lord)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• मुक्त्वा: having left; excepting
• मुक्त्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• श्रूयताम्: let (it) be heard
• श्रूयताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive): 'let it be heard'

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• कारणम्: reason
• कारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Ratnāvatī

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ānarta (her father)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A princess Ratnāvatī, composed yet distressed, addresses her father in a palace hall, refusing alternate suitors and invoking dharma; attendants and ministers watch in tense silence.

Characters & Entities

• Ratnāvatī
• Daśārṇādhipati (ruler of Daśārṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steadfastness to a chosen commitment is presented as a form of dharma, not to be abandoned lightly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the focus is on vow-like commitment within the Tīrthamāhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a declaration of marital choice and intent to explain its basis.