Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 137

Devanagari script

कन्योवाच । यानि कान्यत्र सौख्यानि भोगस्थानानि यानि च । धर्मार्थकामजातानि तानि स्त्रीभ्यो भवंति हि

Transliteration

kanyovāca | yāni kānyatra saukhyāni bhogasthānāni yāni ca | dharmārthakāmajātāni tāni strībhyo bhavaṃti hi

Translation

കന്യ പറഞ്ഞു— ഇവിടെ ഉള്ള ഏതു സുഖങ്ങളും, ഏതു ഭോഗസ്ഥാനങ്ങളും, ധർമ്മ-അർത്ഥ-കാമങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നു ജനിച്ച അവ എല്ലാം നിശ്ചയമായും സ്ത്രീകളാൽ തന്നെയുണ്ടാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• कन्या: the maiden
• कन्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• यानि: which (things)
• यानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative)

• कानि: any/what (things)
• कानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; प्रश्न/अनिर्दिष्ट (indefinite/interrogative)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• सौख्यानि: pleasures, comforts
• सौख्यानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• भोगस्थानानि: places/means of enjoyment
• भोगस्थानानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोग (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative: “places of enjoyment”), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• यानि: which (things)
• यानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; पुनरुक्त-सम्बन्धक

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• धर्मार्थकामजातानि: arising from dharma, artha, and kāma
• धर्मार्थकामजातानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + काम (प्रातिपदिक) + जात (कृदन्त; √जन् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष-प्रधान; “born of dharma-artha-kāma”), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle) विशेषणम् (qualifying तानि)

• तानि: those (things)
• तानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तद्-सम्बन्ध (correlative)

• स्त्रीभ्यः: to women / for women
• स्त्रीभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी/पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Dat/Abl), बहुवचन; अत्र दान/प्राप्त्यर्थे चतुर्थी

• भवन्ति: arise/occur/are
• भवन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

Speaker

Kanyā (Maiden)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The maiden gestures to scenes of human flourishing: a harmonious household, marketplaces, learning halls, and festive gatherings—showing dharma, artha, and kāma as interwoven and supported by women’s presence and agency.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It presents women as integral to worldly flourishing—linking household well-being and life’s aims (dharma-artha-kāma) to their presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in the excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a thematic assertion about life’s goals and social order.