Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

प्रिये दुःखमिदं जातं यावज्जीवं सुदुःसहम् । नैषा रक्षयितुं शक्या रूपयौवनगर्विता

Transliteration

priye duḥkhamidaṃ jātaṃ yāvajjīvaṃ suduḥsaham | naiṣā rakṣayituṃ śakyā rūpayauvanagarvitā

Translation

「愛しき人よ、この悲しみは起こってしまった以上、生きている限り耐えがたい。美貌と若さを誇るこの娘は、たやすく守りきれるものではない。」

Word by Word

• प्रिये: O dear (one)
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (vocative singular)

• दुःखम्: sorrow
• दुःखम्: Karta (Subject/Predicate-noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जातम्: has arisen
• जातम्: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जात (कृदन्त; √जन् (जनीँ) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; क्रियार्थे 'has arisen'

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अवधिवाचक (up to/as long as)

• जीवम्: life
• जीवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Duration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; यावज्जीवम् इति अव्ययीभावार्थे (for life)

• सु: very
• सु: Viśeṣaṇa (Intensifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सु (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गवत् तीव्रतावाचक (intensifier)

• दुःसहम्: hard to bear
• दुःसहम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःसह (प्रातिपदिक; दुर् + सह)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (to दुःखम्)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• एषा: this woman/she
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रक्षयितुम्: to protect
• रक्षयितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √रक्ष् (रक्षँ)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive); प्रयोजनार्थ (to protect)

• शक्या: possible/able (to be)
• शक्या: Kriyā (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्य (कृदन्त; √शक् (शकँ) + यत्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (potential/gerundive)

• रूप: beauty/form
• रूप: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद

• यौवन: youth
• यौवन: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यौवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासमध्यपद

• गर्विता: proud
• गर्विता: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गर्वित (कृदन्त; √गर्व् (गर्वँ) + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (to एषा)

Speaker

The king (speaking to his wife)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king confides to his wife: lifelong unbearable sorrow and the difficulty of safeguarding a proud, youthful, beautiful widow—an anxious, protective parental moment with moral undertones about pride and vulnerability.

Characters & Entities

• King
• Queen
• Bhānumatī (implied as the girl)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes vigilant protection of the vulnerable and mastery over pride born of beauty and youth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this line; it supports the narrative framework within the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse focuses on ethical concern and safeguarding within family and royal duty.