Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

सीतोवाच । परमकारण शंकर धूर्जटे गिरिसुतास्तनकुंकुमशोभित । मम पतौ परिदेहि मतिं सदा न विषमां परपूरुषगोचराम्

Transliteration

sītovāca | paramakāraṇa śaṃkara dhūrjaṭe girisutāstanakuṃkumaśobhita | mama patau paridehi matiṃ sadā na viṣamāṃ parapūruṣagocarām

Translation

സീത പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ പരമകാരണമേ ശങ്കരാ, ഹേ ധൂർജടേ, ഗിരിസുതയുടെ സ്തനകുങ്കുമശോഭിതനേ! എന്റെ മനസ്സിനെ എപ്പോഴും എന്റെ ഭർത്താവിൽ തന്നെ സ്ഥാപിക്കണമേ; അത് വഴുതിപ്പോയി പരപുരുഷനിലേക്കു തിരിയരുതേ.

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• परमकारण: O supreme cause
• परमकारण: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (परमं कारणम्)

• शंकर: O Śaṅkara
• शंकर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• धूर्जटे: O Dhūrjaṭi
• धूर्जटे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूर्जटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• गिरिसुतास्तनकुंकुमशोभित: O one adorned with the vermilion of the Mountain-daughter’s breasts
• गिरिसुतास्तनकुंकुमशोभित: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गिरि-सुता + स्तन + कुंकुम + शोभित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP) ‘शोभित’; पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (गिरिसुतायाः स्तनकुंकुमेन शोभितः)

• मम: my
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• पतौ: in/for (my) husband
• पतौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• परिदेहि: bestow
• परिदेहि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मतिम्: understanding/intent
• मतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेधार्थक (negation particle)

• विषमाम्: uneven/wrong
• विषमाम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विषम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणं ‘मतिम्’

• परपूरुषगोचराम्: directed toward other men’s sphere
• परपूरुषगोचराम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर-पुरुष + गोचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: परपुरुषस्य गोचरा); विशेषणं ‘मतिम्’

Speaker

Sītā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu / Rāmanātha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śiva (Śaṅkara/Dhūrjaṭi)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sītā, modestly adorned, stands before a Śiva-liṅga near the sea, offering a heartfelt prayer; Śiva appears with Gaṅgā in his hair and the mark of Pārvatī’s saffron on his chest, blessing her resolve.

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Pārvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic dharma values inner purity: Sītā seeks divine support so the mind remains steadfast in fidelity and righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu-kṣetra/Rāmeśvaram, where Sītā offers a personal dharmic prayer to Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it is a prayer for mental discipline and pativratā steadiness.