Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

न परत्र भयादेता मर्यादां विदधुः स्त्रियः । मुक्त्वा भूपभयं चैकमथवा गुरुजं भयम्

Transliteration

na paratra bhayādetā maryādāṃ vidadhuḥ striyaḥ | muktvā bhūpabhayaṃ caikamathavā gurujaṃ bhayam

Translation

સ્ત્રીઓ પરલોકના ભયથી આચરણની મર્યાદા બાંધતી નથી; તેઓ તો માત્ર રાજદંડના ભયથી—અથવા ગુરુજન અને વૃદ્ધોના ભયથી—એવી સીમા સ્થાપે છે.

Word by Word

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

• paratra: elsewhere / in the other world
• paratra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paratra (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: elsewhere/afterwards)

• bhayāt: from fear
• bhayāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• etāḥ: these (women)
• etāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• maryādām: a boundary / propriety
• maryādām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maryādā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• vidadhuḥ: they established
• vidadhuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhā (धा धातु) + vi (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• muktvā: having abandoned / excepting
• muktvā: Kriya (Non-finite/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: muc (मुच् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• bhūpa-bhayam: fear of the king
• bhūpa-bhayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भूपस्य भयम्)

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

• ekam: one (single)
• ekam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• athavā: or else
• athavā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: athavā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• guru-jam: arising from the teacher/elder
• guru-jam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; उपपद/तत्पुरुष (गुरोः जातम्) विशेषण

• bhayam: fear
• bhayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrative voice (contextually within Sūta’s narration; explicit speaker not marked in this verse)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A court-and-āśrama contrast: on one side a king with scepter (daṇḍa) symbolizing punishment; on the other a guru/elder in an āśrama setting; between them a woman at a threshold (maryādā) indicating boundaries of conduct—illustrating external vs internal restraint.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Speech that generalizes or disparages others becomes a cause for moral downfall; dharma is upheld by restraint and right view.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse sits inside the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative; the immediate verse emphasizes ethical critique rather than naming a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is prescribed in this verse.