Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

इयं च शारदा नाम कन्या वैधव्यमागता । केनापि कर्मयोगेन दुर्विलंघ्येन भूयसा

Transliteration

iyaṃ ca śāradā nāma kanyā vaidhavyamāgatā | kenāpi karmayogena durvilaṃghyena bhūyasā

Translation

ಮತ್ತೆ ‘ಶಾರದಾ’ ಎಂಬ ಈ ಕನ್ಯೆ, ಯಾವುದೋ ಅತಿಪ್ರಬಲವಾದ ದುರ್ಲಂಘ್ಯ ಕರ್ಮಯೋಗದ ಪರಿಣಾಮವಾಗಿ ವೈಧವ್ಯವನ್ನು ಹೊಂದಿದ್ದಾಳೆ.

Word by Word

• इयम्: this (woman/girl)
• इयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordinator/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• शारदा: Śāradā
• शारदा: Karta (Apposition to subject/कर्तृ-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शारदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम (proper name)

• नाम: by name, called
• नाम: Viśeṣaṇa (Naming/appositive marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नामार्थक-अव्यय (indeclinable meaning “by name/called”)

• कन्या: girl, maiden
• कन्या: Karta (Apposition/कर्तृ-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वैधव्यम्: widowhood
• वैधव्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैधव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आगता: has come to, has attained
• आगता: Kriyā (Predicate action/state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु) → आगत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि-भूतकृदन्त (past participle used predicatively: “has come/has reached”)

• केन: by what, by which
• केन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अपि: even, somehow
• अपि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle: “even/also/somehow”)

• कर्मयोगेन: by a conjunction/connection of karma (fate)
• कर्मयोगेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्म + योग (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कर्मणः योगः)

• दुर्विलङ्घ्येन: by something hard to overcome
• दुर्विलङ्घ्येन: Karaṇa-viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of instrument/करणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + विलङ्घ्य (√लङ्घ् धातु, ल्यप्/यत्-प्रत्ययाधारित विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण (of कर्मयोगेन)

• भूयसा: very great, exceedingly
• भूयसा: Karaṇa-viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/करणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूयस् (प्रातिपदिक; तुलनात्मक/प्रचुरार्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण (intensifier: “great/strong”)

Speaker

The girl’s family/relatives addressing the sage (collective)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A young girl Śāradā sits in subdued attire, head bowed; elders speak to a sage about her widowhood; the atmosphere is compassionate and grave.

Characters & Entities

• Śāradā
• karma
• vaidhavya (widowhood)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human suffering is often framed as karma’s difficult momentum, yet it becomes a doorway to seek refuge in dharma and saintly grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is prescribed; the situation is presented to invite guidance and compassionate intervention.