Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तथापि मन्ये शास्त्रैभ्यस्त्वनुकंप्या प्रियेति यत् । सर्वाश्रमानुपादाय स्वाश्रमेण कलत्रवान्

Transliteration

tathāpi manye śāstraibhyastvanukaṃpyā priyeti yat | sarvāśramānupādāya svāśrameṇa kalatravān

Translation

'ಆದರೂ, ಪತ್ನಿಯು ಕರುಣೆಗೆ ಅರ್ಹಳು ಎಂದು ನಾನು ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರಗಳಿಂದ ತಿಳಿಯುತ್ತೇನೆ. ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಆಶ್ರಮಗಳನ್ನು ಸ್ವೀಕರಿಸಿ, ಗೃಹಸ್ಥಾಶ್ರಮದಲ್ಲಿರುವವನು ಪತ್ನಿಯನ್ನು ಪೋಷಿಸಬೇಕು.'

Word by Word

• तथापि: nevertheless
• तथापि: Sambandha (Concession/अनुज्ञा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-समुच्चय (concessive: even so/nevertheless)

• मन्ये: I think
• मन्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• शास्त्रैभ्यः: from the scriptures
• शास्त्रैभ्यः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), बहुवचन

• तु: indeed, but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• अनुकम्प्या: worthy of compassion
• अनुकम्प्या: Vidheya (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनु-√कम्प् (धातु) → अनुकम्प्य (कृदन्त; यत्/ण्यत्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कृदन्त-विशेषण; ‘to be pitied/compassion-worthy’

• प्रिया: beloved (wife)
• प्रिया: Vidheya (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘beloved (wife)’

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्ति-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• यत्: that (which)
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative) — ‘that which/that’

• सर्वाश्रमान्: all āśramas (stages of life)
• सर्वाश्रमान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (सर्वे आश्रमाः)

• उपादाय: having adopted, having taken up
• उपादाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उप-आ-√दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• स्वाश्रमेण: by/with his own āśrama
• स्वाश्रमेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व-आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (स्वस्य आश्रमः)

• कलत्रवान्: possessing a wife
• कलत्रवान्: Vidheya (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कलत्रवत् (प्रातिपदिक; मतुप्/वतुप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘having a wife’

Speaker

Daityendra/Vajrāṅga (inner speech reported by narrator; implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The daitya-lord speaks as if citing śāstra: a palm-leaf manuscript or a sage-like counselor is suggested; he gestures toward his heart and then toward Varāṅgī, indicating compassion and duty; the mood is sober and principled.

Characters & Entities

• Śāstra (teachings)
• Kalatra (wife)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śāstra-guided life emphasizes compassion in relationships; gṛhastha-dharma includes caring for one’s spouse.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse frames ethical duty via āśrama-dharma.