Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

यावत्पश्यति दाराः स्वा दिव्याभरण भूषिताः । दिव्यवस्त्रैः सुसंवीता राजपत्न्य इवापराः

Transliteration

yāvatpaśyati dārāḥ svā divyābharaṇa bhūṣitāḥ | divyavastraiḥ susaṃvītā rājapatnya ivāparāḥ

Translation

जब उन्होंने अपनी स्त्रियों को देखा—दिव्य आभूषणों से अलंकृत, उत्तम वस्त्रों से सुशोभित, मानो अन्य राजपत्नी हों—तो वे विस्मित रह गए।

Word by Word

• यावत्: while; as long as
• यावत्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालपरिमाणबोधक-अव्यय (adverb) — ‘as long as/while’

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश्/√दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद — ‘sees’

• दाराः: wives
• दाराः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दार (प्रातिपदिक; pluralia tantum)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — nominative plural (wife/wives)

• स्वाः: own
• स्वाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — possessive adjective ‘own’

• दिव्याभरणभूषिताः: adorned with divine ornaments
• दिव्याभरणभूषिताः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आभरण (प्रातिपदिक) + भूषित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √भूष् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष ‘दिव्यैः आभरणैः भूषिताः’ — ‘adorned with divine ornaments’

• दिव्यवस्त्रैः: with divine garments
• दिव्यवस्त्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय ‘दिव्यानि वस्त्राणि’ — instrumental plural

• सुसंवीताः: well-clad
• सुसंवीताः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुसंवीत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; सु+सम्+√वी (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त — ‘well-clad/covered’

• राजपत्न्यः: queens
• राजपत्न्यः: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज (प्रातिपदिक) + पत्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष ‘राज्ञः पत्न्यः’ — ‘king’s wives/queens’

• इव: like
• इव: Upamā (Simile marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (particle of comparison) — ‘like/as’

• अपराः: others; another (set)
• अपराः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — ‘others/another (set)’

Speaker

Sūta (narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Weary brāhmaṇas enter their home/courtyard and behold their wives radiant like queens—gleaming jewelry, fine garments, composed posture—contrasting sharply with the men’s dusty fatigue.

Characters & Entities

• wives (dārāḥ)
• queens (rāja-patnyaḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sudden prosperity can test discernment; Purāṇas often use such scenes to examine attachment, propriety, and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Not directly named in this verse; it is part of the ongoing tīrtha-māhātmya storyline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse sets up a moral inquiry about the source and legitimacy of possessions.