Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

कच्चिन्नाश्नासि भद्रे त्वं स्वभर्तरि बुभुक्षिते । आज्ञाभंगं प्रयत्नेन कच्चित्तत्र प्ररक्षसि

Transliteration

kaccinnāśnāsi bhadre tvaṃ svabhartari bubhukṣite | ājñābhaṃgaṃ prayatnena kaccittatra prarakṣasi

Translation

Ô noble dame, t’abstiens-tu de manger lorsque ton époux a faim, et veilles-tu avec soin à ne pas contrevenir à ses justes directives ?

Word by Word

• कच्चित्: is it the case that…? (I hope)
• कच्चित्: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कच्चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नार्थक निपात/interrogative particle)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध/negation particle)

• आश्नासि: you eat
• आश्नासि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान/present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (2nd person singular)

• भद्रे: O good lady
• भद्रे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन (feminine vocative singular)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (pronoun, nominative singular)

• स्व-भर्तरि: with regard to (your) husband
• स्व-भर्तरि: Adhikarana (Reference/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative singular); समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्य भर्तरि)

• बुभुक्षिते: when (he is) hungry
• बुभुक्षिते: Adhikarana (Qualifier in locative/अधिकरण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बुभुक्षित (प्रातिपदिक; √भुज् (धातु) से कृदन्त, भूतकृदन्त/PPP)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine locative singular); विशेषण (qualifying svabhartari)

• आज्ञा-भङ्गम्: violation of (his) command
• आज्ञा-भङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक) + भङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (accusative singular); समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आज्ञायाः भङ्गः)

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort, carefully
• प्रयत्नेन: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (instrumental singular; used adverbially)

• कच्चित्: is it the case that…? (I hope)
• कच्चित्: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कच्चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नार्थक निपात/interrogative particle)

• तत्र: there, in that matter
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण/adverb of place)

• प्ररक्षसि: you guard, you take care (to avoid)
• प्ररक्षसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान/present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (2nd person singular)

Speaker

Unspecified (Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya didactic voice; household-dharma framing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a pilgrim lodging near a temple: a woman pauses before eating, serving her hungry husband first; an elder observes approvingly, emphasizing dharmic order and restraint.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is practiced through self-restraint and faithful responsibility within one’s household roles.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse teaches ethical conduct supportive of tīrtha-centered life.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual; it prescribes household discipline: not eating before feeding the hungry spouse and avoiding willful disobedience.