Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

न तत्र विधवा नारी जायते न च दुर्भगा । काकवंध्या सुतैर्हीना न च शीलविवर्जिता

Transliteration

na tatra vidhavā nārī jāyate na ca durbhagā | kākavaṃdhyā sutairhīnā na ca śīlavivarjitā

Translation

Là, nulle femme ne devient veuve, et nulle n’est infortunée ; aucune n’est stérile ni privée d’enfants, et aucune n’est dépourvue de bonne conduite.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• vidhavā: widow
• vidhavā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhavā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• nārī: woman
• nārī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• jāyate: is born / arises
• jāyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• na: nor / not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• durbhagā: unfortunate
• durbhagā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur + bhagā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• kākavaṃdhyā: a barren woman (lit. ‘crow-barren’)
• kākavaṃdhyā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāka + vaṃdhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• sutaiḥ: by/with sons
• sutaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• hīnā: deprived (of)
• hīnā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• na: nor / not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• śīla-vivarjitā: devoid of good conduct
• śīla-vivarjitā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śīla + vivarjitā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘शीलात् विवर्जिता’ इति पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुषार्थः

Speaker

Bṛhaspati

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene sacred town: women adorned with auspicious marks (maṅgala-sūtra, sindūra), mothers with children, elders blessing them; a temple spire and tīrtha-ghāṭa in the background, conveying ‘saubhāgya’ and ‘śīla’.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhaspati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A dhārmic age is portrayed as one of social stability, moral conduct, and freedom from many forms of suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is indicated in this verse; it continues the yuga-lakṣaṇa description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.