Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

अथ तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा सुनंदा चारुहासिनी । गतप्राणा नृपश्रेष्ठ पतिप्राणा महासती

Transliteration

atha tasya vacaḥ śrutvā sunaṃdā cāruhāsinī | gataprāṇā nṛpaśreṣṭha patiprāṇā mahāsatī

Translation

അവന്റെ വാക്കുകൾ കേട്ട് മധുരഹാസിനിയായ സുനന്ദ, ഹേ നൃപശ്രേഷ്ഠാ, ഭർത്താവേ പ്രാണമായ മഹാസതി തൽക്ഷണം പ്രാണത്യാഗം ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक (then/thereupon)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• वचः: words
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रुत्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• सुनन्दा: Sunandā
• सुनन्दा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुनन्दा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• चारुहासिनी: smiling beautifully
• चारुहासिनी: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चारु (प्रातिपदिक) + हासिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास (चारु या हासिनी); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘सुनन्दा’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• गतप्राणा: lifeless / whose life had departed
• गतप्राणा: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (गताḥ प्राणा यस्याः/यस्या); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘सुनन्दा’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• नृपश्रेष्ठ: O best king
• नृपश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (नृपाणां श्रेष्ठः); पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• पतिप्राणा: whose life was her husband
• पतिप्राणा: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक) + प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (पतिरेव प्राणाः यस्याः/यस्या); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘सुनन्दा/महासती’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• महासती: the great virtuous woman
• महासती: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + सती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास (महती सती); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Pulastya (continuing narration; addressing listener as nṛpaśreṣṭha)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed to 'nṛpaśreṣṭha' (best of kings)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sunandā, gentle-smiling, hears the fatal news; her face serene, eyes soft; attendants freeze in horror as her life departs—pativratā whose breath is her husband.

Characters & Entities

• Sunandā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse dramatizes the power of attachment and the gravity of speech—falsehood can become lethal and karmically binding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is named in this verse; it is part of the narrative that motivates later tīrtha-based purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.