Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

नार्यश्चापि सुरश्रेष्ठ तत्स्व रूपाः प्रकीर्तिताः । पंचहस्तप्रमाणेन चतुर्हस्तास्तथा परं

Transliteration

nāryaścāpi suraśreṣṭha tatsva rūpāḥ prakīrtitāḥ | paṃcahastapramāṇena caturhastāstathā paraṃ

Translation

Et les femmes aussi, ô le meilleur des dieux, sont décrites selon leurs formes propres. Leur mesure est dite de cinq hastas, puis (pour une autre catégorie) de quatre hastas également.

Word by Word

• नार्यः: women
• नार्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक अव्यय (also/even)

• सुरश्रेष्ठ: O best of gods
• सुरश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सुराणां श्रेष्ठः); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• तत्स्व: their own
• तत्स्व: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत् + स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (तत्स्व = तेषां स्वम्/स्वकीयम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (indeclinable-like qualifier)

• रूपाः: forms/appearances
• रूपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• प्रकीर्तिताः: are described/proclaimed
• प्रकीर्तिताः: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कीर्त् (धातु) → प्रकीर्तित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st); कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense)

• पञ्चहस्तप्रमाणेन: by the measure of five hands
• पञ्चहस्तप्रमाणेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + हस्त + प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (पञ्चहस्तस्य प्रमाणम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; मापनार्थक (by measure)

• चतुर्हस्ताः: four-handed (four hands in measure)
• चतुर्हस्ताः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (चतुर्हस्त = चारि हस्ताः प्रमाणम्); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (implied beings/forms)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/समुच्चयवाचक अव्यय

• परम्: further/moreover
• परम्: Sambandha (Discourse link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative: ‘further/moreover’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: sura-śreṣṭha (explicit vocative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Women depicted in two height-classes measured by hasta (hand-span), shown beside a measuring staff; the narrator addresses the 'best of gods' in a calm explanatory setting.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It continues the yuga-portrait by describing embodied conditions, implying that cosmic age influences even physical norms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.