Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

नूनं कामेन भोगैर्वा कृत्यं वध्वा न मे मनाक् । या पुत्रसुखमन्वीक्ष्य परलोकार्थमाश्रिता

Transliteration

nūnaṃ kāmena bhogairvā kṛtyaṃ vadhvā na me manāk | yā putrasukhamanvīkṣya paralokārthamāśritā

Translation

ନିଶ୍ଚୟ ମୋର ପତ୍ନୀଙ୍କୁ କାମନା କିମ୍ବା ଭୋଗ-ବିଲାସ ସହିତ ଅଳ୍ପମାତ୍ରେ ମଧ୍ୟ କାମ ନାହିଁ। ପୁତ୍ରସୁଖ ଦେଖିଥିଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ ସେ ପରଲୋକ-କଲ୍ୟାଣାର୍ଥ ମାର୍ଗକୁ ଆଶ୍ରୟ କରିଛି।

Word by Word

• नूनम्: surely
• नूनम्: Sambandha (Sentence adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नूनम् (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (certainly)

• कामेन: by desire, by lust
• कामेन: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचन (instrumental singular)

• भोगैः: by enjoyments/pleasures
• भोगैः: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचन (instrumental plural)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• कृत्यम्: duty/thing to be done
• कृत्यम्: Karma (Object; ‘something to be done/aim’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (neuter nominative/accusative singular)

• वध्वा: by the wife
• वध्वा: Karana/Karta (Agent-instrument: ‘by the wife’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वधू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचन (instrumental singular)

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

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी एकवचन (genitive singular)

• मनाक्: even a little
• मनाक्: Sambandha (Degree adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मनाक् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाणार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: even a little)

• या: who
• या: Karta (Subject of subordinate clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (relative pronoun)

• पुत्रसुखम्: the happiness of a son/children
• पुत्रसुखम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पुत्रस्य सुखम्)

• अन्वीक्ष्य: having sought/considered
• अन्वीक्ष्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• परलोकार्थम्: for the sake of the next world
• परलोकार्थम्: Karma (Object/goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परलोक (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (परलोकस्य अर्थः)

• आश्रिता: has resorted to
• आश्रिता: Karta (Predicate adjective of या)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे

Speaker

Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira), addressing Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A reflective statement about a wife unmoved by pleasures, choosing the path for the next world even while seeing the joy of a son; the emotional tone is calm admiration.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmarāja
• Keśava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even legitimate worldly joys (like putra-sukha) are portrayed as secondary to striving for spiritual good and the next-worldly aim.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is specified; the verse is a general dharma reflection on worldly vs. other-worldly priorities.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it broadly commends a life oriented to paraloka through tapas/discipline.