Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

निराहारं पतिं मत्वा तपस्तेपे पतिव्रता । तस्यास्तपसि वर्तंत्या इंद्रश्चक्रे विभीषिकाम्

Transliteration

nirāhāraṃ patiṃ matvā tapastepe pativratā | tasyāstapasi vartaṃtyā iṃdraścakre vibhīṣikām

Translation

ഭർത്താവ് നിരാഹാരനാണെന്ന് കരുതി ആ പതിവ്രത തപസ്സു ചെയ്തു. അവൾ തപസ്സിൽ അചഞ്ചലയായിരിക്കെ, ഇന്ദ്രൻ അവളെ വ്യാകുലപ്പെടുത്താൻ ഭീതിജനകമായ വിഭീഷിക സൃഷ്ടിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• निराहारम्: fasting, without food
• निराहारम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; नञ्/निर्-पूर्वक तत्पुरुष (आहारः न यस्य)

• पतिम्: husband
• पतिम्: Karma (कर्म/object of knowing)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मत्वा: having considered
• मत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘having thought/considered’

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तेपे: performed austerity
• तेपे: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• पतिव्रता: a devoted wife (pativratā)
• पतिव्रता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (पतेः व्रतं यस्याः)

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• तपसि: in austerity / in her penance
• तपसि: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• वर्तन्त्याः: while she was engaged (in it)
• वर्तन्त्याः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्), ‘वर्तन्ती’ = being engaged/continuing

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• चक्रे: made, created
• चक्रे: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• विभीषिकाम्: a terror, frightful apparition
• विभीषिकाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभीषिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: सरस्-तीर (unnamed)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devoted wife continues austerity, believing her husband is fasting; Indra manifests a frightening apparition—dark storm, roaring beasts, or illusory threats—near the lakeshore to break her resolve.

Characters & Entities

• Indra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tapas attracts tests; steadfastness in dharma is shown as the measure of spiritual strength.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A lake-bank hermitage setting is implied, but no named tīrtha appears in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas undertaken by a pativratā—implying fasting/ascetic discipline in response to her husband’s condition.