Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

सा च सीमंतिनी साध्वी भर्तृलोकमतिः सती । पित्रा निषिद्धा स्नेहेन वैधव्यं प्रत्यपद्यत

Transliteration

sā ca sīmaṃtinī sādhvī bhartṛlokamatiḥ satī | pitrā niṣiddhā snehena vaidhavyaṃ pratyapadyata

Translation

ആ സീമന്തിനി സാധ്വി സതി, മനസ്സോടെ ഭർത്തൃലോകത്തോടേ പരായണയായി; പിതാവ് സ്നേഹത്തോടെ വിലക്കിയിട്ടും അവൾ വൈധവ്യം സ്വീകരിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• सीमन्तिनी: a married woman / woman with hair-parting rite
• सीमन्तिनी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सीमन्तिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• साध्वी: virtuous
• साध्वी: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साध्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• भर्तृलोकमतिः: whose mind was fixed on her husband’s world (devoted to husband)
• भर्तृलोकमतिः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भर्तृ + लोक + मति (प्रातिपदिक-त्रय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भर्तुः लोकः इव मतिः/भर्तृलोक एव मतिः यस्याः)

• सती: being chaste/true
• सती: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सती (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √अस् (धातु) + शतृ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present participle)

• पित्रा: by (her) father
• पित्रा: Kartr/Agent of passive (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• निषिद्धा: forbidden / restrained
• निषिद्धा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निषिद्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; नि-√सिध्/√सिध् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; कर्मणि-भाव (passive sense)

• स्नेहेन: out of affection
• स्नेहेन: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नेह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

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

• प्रत्यपद्यत: she accepted/entered upon
• प्रत्यपद्यत: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-√पद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A young virtuous woman, eyes lowered yet resolute, stands beside her father who gestures in protective restraint; her posture conveys acceptance of widowhood as a chosen dharmic state.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse highlights steadfastness and restraint in dharma amid bereavement, portraying devotion and austerity as inner strength.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is mentioned here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; it describes the woman’s acceptance of vaidhavya (widowhood) as a dharmic state.