Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

उद्वाहितानां पत्नीनां ये न कुर्वन्ति सेवनम् । या निष्ठा जायते नृणां तां शृणुष्व नराधिप

Transliteration

udvāhitānāṃ patnīnāṃ ye na kurvanti sevanam | yā niṣṭhā jāyate nṛṇāṃ tāṃ śṛṇuṣva narādhipa

Translation

ଯେ ପୁରୁଷମାନେ ନିଜ ବିବାହିତା ପତ୍ନୀମାନଙ୍କ ପ୍ରତି ଯଥୋଚିତ ଦାମ୍ପତ୍ୟଧର୍ମ ପାଳନ କରନ୍ତି ନାହିଁ, ହେ ନରାଧିପ, ସେମାନଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ ଯେ ନିଶ୍ଚିତ ପରିଣାମ ହୁଏ, ତାହା ଶୁଣ।

Word by Word

• उद्वाहितानाम्: of the married (women)
• उद्वाहितानाम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + वह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP) ‘उद्वाहित’ (married), स्त्रीलिङ्गे पत्नीनाम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• पत्नीनाम्: of wives
• पत्नीनाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• न: not
• न: Negation particle (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• कुर्वन्ति: do
• कुर्वन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• सेवनम्: service/indulgence (sexual union)
• सेवनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• या: which (that)
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• निष्ठा: steadfastness; resolve
• निष्ठा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• जायते: arises
• जायते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नृणाम्: of men
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• ताम्: that (steadfastness)
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; निष्ठाम् इत्यस्य निर्देशः

• शृणुष्व: hear (listen)
• शृणुष्व: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नराधिप: O king (lord of men)
• नराधिप: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Narādhipa (king; dialogue frame with Yudhiṣṭhira)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya, calm but firm, addresses the king: a didactic tableau showing a householder neglecting his wife in the background as a cautionary vignette, contrasted with a harmonious couple as the ideal.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Narādhipa (Yudhiṣṭhira as addressee)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Householder duties are treated as dharma; neglect is said to bring an inevitable moral and karmic outcome.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is didactic within the Somnātha-centered narrative frame of the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it frames a dharma-instruction regarding marital conduct.