Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

अथान्ये परलोकस्य भीत्याऽतीव व्यवस्थिताः । विमुखाः परदारेषु नार्यश्चापि पतिव्रताः

Transliteration

athānye paralokasya bhītyā'tīva vyavasthitāḥ | vimukhāḥ paradāreṣu nāryaścāpi pativratāḥ

Translation

അപ്പോൾ മറ്റുള്ളവർ പരലോകഭയത്താൽ അത്യന്തം നിയന്ത്രിതരായി; അവർ പരദാരങ്ങളിൽ നിന്ന് വിമുഖരായി, സ്ത്രീകളും പതിവ്രതകളായി ഭർത്തൃനിഷ്ഠയായി നിലകൊണ്ടു।

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (Nominative plural)

• परलोकस्य: of the other world/afterlife
• परलोकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परलोक (प्रातिपदिक; पर + लोक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासः (परः लोकः) (Genitive singular)

• भीत्या: out of fear
• भीत्या: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; हेतौ (Instrumental of cause)

• अतीव: very, exceedingly
• अतीव: Prakaraṇa (Degree/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतीव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (intensifier adverb)

• व्यवस्थिताः: steadfast, well-disciplined
• व्यवस्थिताः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; भूतकृदन्तः (क्त-प्रत्यय), ‘स्थित’ = established/steadfast (Past passive participle used adjectivally)

• विमुखाः: turned away, averse
• विमुखाः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमुख (प्रातिपदिक; वि + मुख)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (Nominative plural)

• परदारेषु: toward others’ wives
• परदारेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परदार (प्रातिपदिक; पर + दार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (परस्य दाराः) (Locative plural)

• नार्यः: women
• नार्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (Nominative plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-भाव (also/even)

• पतिव्रताः: devoted to their husbands
• पतिव्रताः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पतिव्रत (प्रातिपदिक; पति + व्रत)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (पतेः व्रतम् यस्याः) ‘devoted to husband’ (Nominative plural)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (deduced from Purāṇic māhātmya style in Nāgarakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rudraśīrṣa (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims in a temple precinct taking vows of restraint; men turning away from temptation; women depicted as pativratās with calm, resolute faces before a Śiva shrine.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Fear of karmic consequence supports self-restraint and fidelity, which Purāṇic dharma praises as protective virtues.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding passage belongs to the Rudraśīrṣa-tīrtha/kuṇḍa praise within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it emphasizes ethical discipline (niyama) and marital fidelity.