Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

पर्यंकशायिनी नारी विधवा पातयेत्पतिम् । तस्माद्भूशयनं कार्य्यं पतिसौख्यसमीहया

Transliteration

paryaṃkaśāyinī nārī vidhavā pātayetpatim | tasmādbhūśayanaṃ kāryyaṃ patisaukhyasamīhayā

Translation

ഉയർന്ന കിടക്കയിൽ ശയിക്കുന്ന സ്ത്രീ ഭർത്താവിനെ ദുരിതത്തിലേക്ക് തള്ളിവിട്ട് താനേ വിധവയായേക്കാം; അതിനാൽ ഭർത്താവിന്റെ ക്ഷേമം ആഗ്രഹിച്ച് നിലത്ത് ശയിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• पर्यङ्कशायिनी: lying on a bed/couch
• पर्यङ्कशायिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर्यङ्क-शायिनी (प्रातिपदिक; पर्यङ्क + शायिनी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् नारी

• नारी: woman
• नारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• विधवा: widow
• विधवा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विधवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् नारी

• पातयेत्: may cause to fall; may bring down
• पातयेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु) caus. पातय (णिच्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative)

• पतिम्: husband
• पतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Reason marker (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (ablatival adverb: therefore/from that)

• भूशयनम्: sleeping on the ground
• भूशयनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू-शयन (प्रातिपदिक; भू + शयन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कार्यम्: should be done; is to be done
• कार्यम्: Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + य (कृत्य-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अर्थः ‘कर्तव्यम्’

• पतिसौख्यसमीहया: with the desire for the husband's comfort
• पतिसौख्यसमीहया: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति-सौख्य-समिहा (प्रातिपदिक; पति + सौख्य + समीहा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

Speaker

Unknown (contextual narrator within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa; likely a Purāṇic teacher-voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A modest chamber: the woman chooses to sleep on a simple mat on the floor, lamp dim, prayerful mood, symbolizing self-restraint for husband’s well-being.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Self-restraint and austerity undertaken for another’s welfare are praised as expressions of dharma within household life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is mentioned; the verse is a vrata/niyama instruction within the Dharmāraṇya discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhūśayana (sleeping on the ground) is prescribed as a domestic austerity intended for the husband’s welfare.