Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

नेति केचित्तत्र पुनः कथं ते यदि नो गृही । अतो धात्रा च शास्त्रेषु सुतलाभः प्रशंसितः

Transliteration

neti kecittatra punaḥ kathaṃ te yadi no gṛhī | ato dhātrā ca śāstreṣu sutalābhaḥ praśaṃsitaḥ

Translation

କେହି କେହି ସେଠାରେ କହନ୍ତି—“ନୁହେଁ।” କିନ୍ତୁ ଯଦି ଗୃହୀଭାବ ସତ୍ୟରେ ଗ୍ରହୀତ ନ ଥାଆନ୍ତା, ତେବେ ଏହା କିପରି ସମ୍ଭବ? ତେଣୁ ଧାତୃ (ସ୍ରଷ୍ଟା) ଶାସ୍ତ୍ରରେ ସୁସନ୍ତାନ-ଲାଭକୁ ପ୍ରଶଂସା କରିଛନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (particle: not)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्यसमाप्ति/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative: thus)

• केचित्: some (people)
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क-चित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun: some)

• तत्र: there/in that matter
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb: there)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति/पुनरावृत्ति (adverb: again)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative adverb: how)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया/षष्ठी?; बहुवचन रूप 'ते' सामान्यतः प्रथमा बहुवचन (they) अथवा चतुर्थी/षष्ठी एकवचन (to you/your); अत्र सन्दर्भे: पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा बहुवचन (they)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Conditional/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तसूचक (conjunction: if)

• नः: our
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन (gen. pl.: our)

• गृही: a householder
• गृही: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Sambandha (Causal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक (therefore/from this)

• धात्रा: by the Creator
• धात्रा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन (instr. sg.)

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

• शास्त्रेषु: in the scriptures
• शास्त्रेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन (loc. pl.)

• सुतलाभः: gain of a son
• सुतलाभः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत-लाभ (प्रातिपदिक; सुत + लाभ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• प्रशंसितः: praised
• प्रशंसितः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-शंस् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (praised)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative convention)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disputation-like teaching: some ascetics object, the teacher responds by invoking Dhātṛ and śāstra; imagery of a family performing saṃskāras in the background (naming ceremony, fire rites).

Characters & Entities

• Dhātṛ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It affirms śāstra-pramāṇa (scriptural authority): despite objections, the scriptures uphold the value of righteous progeny as a legitimate, dharmic blessing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as a doctrinal statement within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa’s broader teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse emphasizes a scriptural valuation (praśaṃsā) of suta-lābha rather than prescribing a specific vrata, dāna, or snāna.