Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

स्त्रीभिश्च नरशार्दूल श्रोतव्या वैष्णवी कथा । एवं जागरणं कार्यं रागक्रोधविवर्जितैः

Transliteration

strībhiśca naraśārdūla śrotavyā vaiṣṇavī kathā | evaṃ jāgaraṇaṃ kāryaṃ rāgakrodhavivarjitaiḥ

Translation

Ô tigre parmi les hommes, les femmes aussi doivent écouter le récit sacré vaiṣṇava. Ainsi doit-on observer la veille, exempt d’attachement et de colère.

Word by Word

• स्त्रीभिः: by/with women
• स्त्रीभिः: Sahakari (Association/सहकारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (सह/करण), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — ‘and’

• नरशार्दूल: O tiger among men
• नरशार्दूल: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः: नर-शार्दूल (कर्मधारय) — ‘tiger among men’

• श्रोतव्या: should be listened to
• श्रोतव्या: Vidhi (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: श्रु धातोः, कर्तव्यतार्थे ‘तव्यत्’ (श्रोतव्य), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘to be heard/should be listened to’ (gerundive)

• वैष्णवी: Vaiṣṇava (pertaining to Viṣṇu)
• वैष्णवी: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (कथायाः)

• कथा: story/discourse
• कथा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रकारवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘thus/in this manner’

• जागरणम्: vigil (night-wake)
• जागरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र कर्म/विषय-रूपेण (कार्यं इति सह)

• कार्यम्: should be done
• कार्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृ धातोः, कर्तव्यतार्थे ‘यत्’ (कार्य), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘should be done’ (gerundive)

• राग: attachment/passion
• राग: Visheshana (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप; समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)

• क्रोध: anger
• क्रोध: Visheshana (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप; समासाङ्ग (मध्यपद)

• विवर्जितैः: by those free from passion and anger
• विवर्जितैः: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विवर्जित (कृदन्त; वि-√वृज्/√वर्ज् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः: राग-क्रोध (द्वन्द्व) + विवर्जित — ‘devoid of attachment and anger’

Speaker

Unknown (Prabhāsakhaṇḍa narrative voice; speaker not explicit in the excerpt)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed to a male interlocutor as 'naraśārdūla' (tiger among men)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A night assembly in a temple mandapa: men and women seated separately yet within the same sacred space, listening to a Vaiṣṇava narrator; lamps and incense glow; the mood is calm and vigilant, with restrained expressions.

Characters & Entities

• Vaiṣṇavī kathā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is strengthened by hearing sacred narration and by practicing self-control—especially freedom from anger and attachment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider context is the glory of Vastrāpatha-kṣetra within the Prabhāsa region, though this verse focuses on vrata-conduct.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Hearing Vaiṣṇava kathā and performing jāgaraṇa (staying awake in vigil) with disciplined emotions.