Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28
Devanagari script
देहार्धधारिणी देवि सदा त्वं शूलधारिणः । तदैकस्मिन्नते कस्मान्न नता त्वं वदस्व मे
Transliteration
dehārdhadhāriṇī devi sadā tvaṃ śūladhāriṇaḥ | tadaikasminnate kasmānna natā tvaṃ vadasva me
Translation
おお、シヴァの半身を宿す女神よ、あなたは常に三叉戟を執る御方と一体であられる。ならば、私がただその御方のみに礼拝したとき、なぜあなたは私の礼をお受けにならなかったのか。どうか告げてください。
Word by Word
देहार्धधारिणीshe who bears half (his) body
देहार्धधारिणी:
Karta (Subject-qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootdeha-ardha-dhāriṇī (प्रातिपदिक; deha + ardha + dhāriṇī)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (देवि/पार्वती) — ‘देहस्य अर्धं धारयति’
देविO Goddess
देवि:
Sambodhana
TypeNoun
Rootdevī (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन
सदाalways
सदा:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa
TypeIndeclinable
Rootsadā (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (नित्यत्ववाचक adverb)
त्वम्you
त्वम्:
Karta (Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootyusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formमध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन
शूलधारिणःof the trident-bearer (Śiva)
शूलधारिणः:
Sambandha (Genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootśūla-dhārin (प्रातिपदिक; śūla + dhārin)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; ‘शूलधारिन्’ (Śiva)
तत्then/so
तत्:
Discourse connector
TypeIndeclinable
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्ययवत् (correlative particle) — ‘तद्/then/so’
एकस्मिन्on one (occasion)
एकस्मिन्:
Adhikaraṇa (Time/occasion)
TypeAdjective
Rooteka (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘एकस्मिन्’ = ‘in one (occasion)’
नतेwhen (I was) bowed down
नते:
Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute)
TypeAdjective
Rootnata (कृदन्त; √nam (नम्) + क्त)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘नते (सति)’—locative absolute sense: ‘when (I was) bowed’
कस्मात्why
कस्मात्:
Hetu-prashna (Interrogative cause)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootkim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formप्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय; मूलतः ‘किम्’ पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपम्—‘कस्मात्’ (why/from what reason)
नnot
न:
Negation
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (निषेध)
नताbowed (down)
नता:
Kriyā (Predicative participle)
TypeVerb
Rootnata (कृदन्त; √nam (नम्) + क्त)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘नता (अभूः)’—predicative with tvam
त्वम्you
त्वम्:
Karta (Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootyusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formमध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन
वदस्वtell, speak
वदस्व:
Kriyā (Predicate)
TypeVerb
Root√vad (वद् धातु)
Formलोट् (आज्ञार्थ/imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद
मेto me
मे:
Sampradāna (Recipient)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formउत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान) एकवचन (enclitic)
Speaker
King (addressing Devī/Pārvatī)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: The king gestures respectfully while addressing Pārvatī as the half-body of Śiva, pointing to the divine couple’s unity and asking why his bow to Śiva alone did not include her.
Characters & Entities
A
Ardhanārīśvara concept (dehārdhadhāriṇī)Ś
Śiva (Śūladhārin)P
Pārvatī (Devī)FAQs
Śiva and Śakti are inseparable; devotion that ignores one aspect is considered incomplete.
No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is theological within a tīrthamāhātmya frame.
Implicitly, worship should honor both Śiva and Devī, not Śiva alone.