Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तस्यैका चाभवत्पत्नी प्राणेभ्योऽपि गरीयसी । पतिव्रता पतिप्राणा पतिप्रियहिते रता

Transliteration

tasyaikā cābhavatpatnī prāṇebhyo'pi garīyasī | pativratā patiprāṇā patipriyahite ratā

Translation

അവന് ഒരേയൊരു ഭാര്യയുണ്ടായിരുന്നു; അവൾ പ്രാണത്തേക്കാളും പ്രിയപ്പെട്ടവൾ. അവൾ പതിവ്രത, ഭർത്താവേ അവളുടെ പ്രാണം, ഭർത്താവിന് പ്രിയവും ഹിതവും ആയ കാര്യങ്ങളിൽ സദാ രതയായിരുന്നുവ്.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एका: one (single)
• एका: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying पत्नी)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (and)

• अभवत्: became/was
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• पत्नी: wife
• पत्नी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• प्राणेभ्यः: than (her) lives/breaths
• प्राणेभ्यः: Upamana/Comparison base (Ablative of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), बहुवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-कार (even)

• गरीयसी: more dear/greater
• गरीयसी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गरीयस् (प्रातिपदिक; comparative of गुरु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तुलनात्मक (comparative)

• पतिव्रता: devoted to her husband (pativratā)
• पतिव्रता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पति + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक; components)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पतेः व्रतम् यस्याः)

• पतिप्राणा: one whose life is her husband
• पतिप्राणा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पति + प्राण (प्रातिपदिक; components)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (पति एव प्राणाः यस्याः)

• पतिप्रियहिते: in what is dear and beneficial to (her) husband
• पतिप्रियहिते: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति + प्रिय + हित (प्रातिपदिक; components)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पतेः प्रियं हितं च तस्मिन्)

• रता: engaged/delighting
• रता: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम् (धातु) (कृदन्त: क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past participle used adjectivally: engaged), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis of Naimiṣāraṇya (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a brāhmaṇa home: the wife depicted as composed and devoted, attending to her husband’s needs with reverence; symbols of household ritual—lamp, water-pot, sacred thread, and offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Lohajaṅgha
• his wife (pativratā ideal)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic ideal of gṛhastha-dharma is shown through loyalty, mutual welfare, and steadfast marital virtue.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly the tīrtha-region of Adhyāya 124, by presenting exemplary lives connected to its narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes the ethical quality of pativratā-dharma.