Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 116

Devanagari script

योगिन्य ऊचुः । मा निंदां कुरु मूढात्मंस्त्वं स्त्रीणां योगमाश्रितः । एतच्चराचरं विश्वं स्त्रीभिः संधार्यते यतः

Transliteration

yoginya ūcuḥ | mā niṃdāṃ kuru mūḍhātmaṃstvaṃ strīṇāṃ yogamāśritaḥ | etaccarācaraṃ viśvaṃ strībhiḥ saṃdhāryate yataḥ

Translation

യോഗിനികൾ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ മൂഢനേ! സ്ത്രീകളെ നിന്ദിക്കരുത്; നീയും സ്ത്രീയോഗശക്തിയെയാണു ആശ്രയിക്കുന്നത്. കാരണം ഈ ചരാചരമായ മുഴുവൻ വിശ്വവും സ്ത്രീശക്തികളാൽ തന്നെ ധരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• योगिन्यः: yoginīs
• योगिन्यः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् लकार (Perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• मा: do not
• मा: Pratiṣedha (Prohibition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेधार्थक (prohibitive particle used with imperative)

• निन्दाम्: blame/censure
• निन्दाम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निन्दा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• कुरु: do
• कुरु: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् लकार (Imperative); परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन (do)

• मूढात्मन्: O deluded one
• मूढात्मन्: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूढ (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास (‘मूढः आत्मा यस्य/मूढ आत्मा’); पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन (Vocative singular)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग (सर्वनाम); प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular: you)

• स्त्रीणाम्: of women
• स्त्रीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Genitive plural: of women)

• योगम्: union/connection
• योगम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• आश्रितः: having resorted to
• आश्रितः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + श्रि (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘त्वम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (having resorted to)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘विश्वम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (this)

• चराचरम्: moving and unmoving
• चराचरम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चर (प्रातिपदिक) + अचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्वसमास (इतरेतर: चर + अचर); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘विश्वम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (moving and unmoving)

• विश्वम्: universe
• विश्वम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• स्त्रीभिः: by women
• स्त्रीभिः: Karaṇa (Instrument/agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Instrumental plural: by women)

• संधार्यते: is sustained
• संधार्यते: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + धृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् लकार (Present); कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive); आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (is sustained/held together)

• यतः: because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक (because/since)

Speaker

Yoginīs

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The yoginīs speak with composed authority; their anger becomes instructive compassion. Behind them, a symbolic vision of the cosmos—moving and unmoving beings—rests upon a luminous feminine शक्ति.

Characters & Entities

• Yoginīs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The feminine principle (Śakti) is portrayed as cosmic sustenance; contempt toward women is framed as ignorance of the universe’s sustaining power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse emphasizes doctrine associated with a Yoginī/pīṭha milieu rather than naming a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it gives a doctrinal prohibition: do not slander women (mā niṃdāṃ kuru).