Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

एवं चतुर्दशे वर्षे दुःखं प्राप्य सुदारुणम् । ध्यायन्ती शिवपादाब्जं वत्सरत्रयमत्यगात्

Transliteration

evaṃ caturdaśe varṣe duḥkhaṃ prāpya sudāruṇam | dhyāyantī śivapādābjaṃ vatsaratrayamatyagāt

Translation

ಹೀಗೆ ಹದಿನಾಲ್ಕನೇ ವರ್ಷದಲ್ಲಿ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ದಾರುಣ ದುಃಖವನ್ನು ಪಡೆದು, ಶಿವನ ಪಾದಪದ್ಮಗಳನ್ನು ಧ್ಯಾನಿಸುತ್ತಾ ಅವಳು ಮೂರು ವರ್ಷಗಳನ್ನು ಕಳೆಯಿತು।

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• चतुर्दशे: in the fourteenth
• चतुर्दशे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषण

• वर्षे: year
• वर्षे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• दुःखम्: sorrow
• दुःखम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्राप्य: having obtained/experienced
• प्राप्य: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √प्राप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• सुदारुणम्: very terrible
• सुदारुणम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दारुण (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (अत्यन्तं दारुणम्)

• ध्यायन्ती: meditating
• ध्यायन्ती: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शिवपादाब्जम्: Śiva’s lotus-feet
• शिवपादाब्जम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + पाद + अब्ज (प्रातिपदिक-त्रय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य पादयोः अब्जम्)

• वत्सरत्रयम्: three years
• वत्सरत्रयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्सर + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रयः वत्सराः)

• अत्यगात्: she passed/spent
• अत्यगात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अति-√गम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; specific speaker not explicit in this excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A young widow in austere clothing sits in meditation for years, eyes half-closed, visualizing Śiva’s lotus-feet; a simple lamp and bilva leaves nearby, with a quiet forest/ashrama ambience.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-bhakti and dhyāna are presented as refuge in calamity; remembrance of the Lord steadies the mind through intense suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the verse glorifies devotion to Śiva rather than a geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual is specified; it emphasizes dhyāna (meditation) on Śiva’s lotus-feet.