Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

साध्वी महाकुलोत्पन्ना भार्याया स्यात्पतिव्रता । तत्रापि दुर्लभं यच्च तया धर्मनिषेवणम्

Transliteration

sādhvī mahākulotpannā bhāryāyā syātpativratā | tatrāpi durlabhaṃ yacca tayā dharmaniṣevaṇam

Translation

ಮಹಾಕುಲದಲ್ಲಿ ಜನಿಸಿದ ಸಾಧ್ವೀ ಪತ್ನಿ ಪತಿವ್ರತೆಯಾಗಿರಬಹುದು; ಆದರೂ ಅವಳು ಧರ್ಮವನ್ನು ನಿಷ್ಠೆಯಿಂದ ಆಚರಿಸುವುದು ದುರ್ಲಭ.

Word by Word

• साध्वी: virtuous, chaste
• साध्वी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साध्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Feminine, Nominative, Singular; adjective)

• महाकुलोत्पन्ना: born in a great family
• महाकुलोत्पन्ना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + कुल + उत्पन्ना (प्रातिपदिक); √पद्/√पन् (धातु) से 'उत्पन्न' (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (Feminine, Nominative, Singular; tatpurusha)

• भार्यायाः: of a wife
• भार्यायाः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन (Feminine, Genitive, Singular)

• स्यात्: should be, may be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Optative, 3rd sg, Parasmaipada)

• पतिव्रता: a devoted wife (faithful to husband)
• पतिव्रता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति + व्रता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (Feminine, Nominative, Singular; tatpurusha)

• तत्र: therein, in that case
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: even/also)

• दुर्लभम्: rare, hard to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; adjective)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-यत् (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• तया: by her
• तया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular)

• धर्मनिषेवणम्: practice/observance of dharma
• धर्मनिषेवणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + निषेवण (प्रातिपदिक); नि√सेव् (धातु) + ल्युट् (कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; tatpurusha)

Speaker

Himācala

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dignified householder woman with simple signs of nobility stands near a domestic shrine; despite auspicious surroundings, the emphasis is on her disciplined daily worship and ethical acts, highlighting rarity of true dharma-practice.

Characters & Entities

• Himācala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External markers—lineage and social virtue—are not enough; consistent dharma-practice is the true rarity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the focus is on character and practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it emphasizes dharma-niṣevaṇa (ongoing practice of dharma) as the essential discipline.