Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

स्त्र्युवाच । पतिव्रताहं विप्रेन्द्राः सदा भर्तृपरायणा । किं रूपेण करिष्यामि विना पत्या निजेन च

Transliteration

stryuvāca | pativratāhaṃ viprendrāḥ sadā bhartṛparāyaṇā | kiṃ rūpeṇa kariṣyāmi vinā patyā nijena ca

Translation

സ്ത്രീ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ വിപ്രേന്ദ്രന്മാരേ, ഞാൻ പതിവ്രതയാണ്; എപ്പോഴും ഭർത്താവിനോടു പരായണ. എന്റെ സ്വന്തം ഭർത്താവില്ലാതെ ഈ രൂപം കൊണ്ട് ഞാൻ എന്തു ചെയ്യും?

Word by Word

• स्त्री: the woman
• स्त्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बोधन-रूपेण वक्तृ-निर्देशः (speaker)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पतिव्रता: a devoted wife
• पतिव्रता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘पतिव्रता’ = पतिं प्रति व्रतम् यस्याः (pativratā)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• विप्रेन्द्राः: O best of Brahmins
• विप्रेन्द्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), बहुवचन; ‘विप्रेन्द्र’ = विप्राणाम् इन्द्राः (O best of Brahmins)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• भर्तृपरायणा: wholly devoted to (my) husband
• भर्तृपरायणा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘अहम्/पतिव्रता’)

• किम्: by what?
• किम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; ‘किं रूपेण’ इति साधन-प्रश्नः

• रूपेण: by (what) form/appearance
• रूपेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• करिष्यामि: shall I do
• करिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग-निपात-स्वरूपम्; वियोगार्थक-अव्यय (preposition/adverb)

• पत्या: with/without (my) husband
• पत्या: Apadana (Ablative sense/अपादानार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; ‘विना’ इत्यस्य योगे तृतीया-प्रयोगः

• निजेन: one’s own
• निजेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘पत्या’)

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

Speaker

Strī (pativratā wife)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpottama

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The woman replies to the sages with unwavering gaze, hands in a firm gesture of resolve, declaring herself pativratā; firelight outlines her silhouette.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

For the speaker, devotion and duty define value more than external blessings; virtue is framed as relational fidelity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda Khaṇḍa tīrtha remains the backdrop, but the verse emphasizes dharma over geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a statement of vow (vrata) and life-orientation (parāyaṇatā).