Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

कच्चित्त्वं प्रोषिते कांते मलिनांबरधारिणी । जायसे च तथा दीना विवर्णवदना कृशा

Transliteration

kaccittvaṃ proṣite kāṃte malināṃbaradhāriṇī | jāyase ca tathā dīnā vivarṇavadanā kṛśā

Translation

Lorsque ton bien-aimé est au loin, deviens-tu celle qui porte des vêtements souillés, abattue, le visage pâle et amaigrie ?

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)

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

• प्रोषिते: when (he is) away, absent
• प्रोषिते: Adhikarana (Qualifier in locative/अधिकरण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रोषित (प्रातिपदिक; प्र + √वस् (धातु) से कृदन्त, भूतकृदन्त/PPP; अर्थः ‘विदेशे वसति’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine locative singular); विशेषण (qualifying kāṃte)

• कान्ते: when (your) beloved (husband) is away
• कान्ते: Adhikarana (Reference/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine locative singular)

• मलिन-अम्बर-धारिणी: wearing soiled garments
• मलिन-अम्बर-धारिणी: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मलिन (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्बर (प्रातिपदिक) + धारिणी (प्रातिपदिक; √धृ (धातु) + णिनि-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (feminine nominative singular); समासः तत्पुरुषः (मलिनम् अम्बरम् धारयति)

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

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

• तथा: thus, likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण/adverb of manner)

• दीना: wretched, dejected
• दीना: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (feminine nominative singular)

• विवर्ण-वदना: pale-faced
• विवर्ण-वदना: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + वदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (feminine nominative singular); समासः कर्मधारयः (विवर्णं वदनं यस्याः)

• कृशा: thin, emaciated
• कृशा: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (feminine nominative singular)

Speaker

Unspecified (Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya didactic voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A woman sits near a temple courtyard, hair loosely bound, wearing plain/soiled garments, face pale and thin from longing; she gazes toward the road, with the temple spire behind her—pathos and fidelity emphasized.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It highlights expected household decorum and emotional discipline, portraying how separation affects demeanor and conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific holy site is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it is observational/ethical, concerning personal conduct and appearance during separation.