Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

गृहान्निर्गत्य सायाह्ने पुरद्वारबहिः स्थिता । वनमार्गं प्रपश्यंती पत्युरागमनेच्छया

Transliteration

gṛhānnirgatya sāyāhne puradvārabahiḥ sthitā | vanamārgaṃ prapaśyaṃtī patyurāgamanecchayā

Translation

夕暮れに家を出て、都の門の外に立ち、森へ通う道を見つめつつ、夫の帰りを切に待ち望んだ。

Word by Word

• गृहात्: from the house
• गृहात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• निर्गत्य: having gone out
• निर्गत्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), ‘having gone out’

• सायाह्ने: in the evening
• सायाह्ने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायाह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• पुरद्वारबहिः: outside the city-gate
• पुरद्वारबहिः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुर + द्वार + बहिः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• स्थिता: stood
• स्थिता: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘standing/remaining’

• वनमार्गम्: the forest-path
• वनमार्गम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रपश्यन्ती: looking at
• प्रपश्यन्ती: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√पश्/दृश् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘seeing/looking’

• पत्युः: of (her) husband
• पत्युः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आगमन-इच्छया: with the desire for (his) coming
• आगमन-इच्छया: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आगमन + इच्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (instrumental of cause/purpose)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa convention)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dusk, Ghanodarī steps out and stands beyond the city gate, eyes fixed on the forest road; the sky deepens, silhouettes of trees frame the path, and the gate marks the boundary between safety and the unknown.

Characters & Entities

• Ghanodarī (implied)
• City gate (puradvāra)
• Forest path (vanamārga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It sets the human scene of longing and uncertainty that Purāṇas use to unfold karmic and dharmic consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not explicit in this verse; it remains within the Kedāra-khaṇḍa sacred narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.