Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

संत्यक्ताः पतिभिर्नार्यः पुत्राश्च पितृभिर्निजैः । मातरश्च तथा पुत्रैर्लोकेष्वन्येषु का कथा

Transliteration

saṃtyaktāḥ patibhirnāryaḥ putrāśca pitṛbhirnijaiḥ | mātaraśca tathā putrairlokeṣvanyeṣu kā kathā

Translation

ସ୍ୱାମୀମାନଙ୍କ ଦ୍ୱାରା ପରିତ୍ୟକ୍ତା ନାରୀମାନେ, ନିଜ ପିତାମାନଙ୍କ ଦ୍ୱାରା ତ୍ୟଜିତ ପୁତ୍ରମାନେ; ପୁତ୍ରମାନଙ୍କ ଦ୍ୱାରା ମଧ୍ୟ ପରିତ୍ୟକ୍ତା ମାତାମାନେ—ତେବେ ଅନ୍ୟମାନଙ୍କ କଥା କହିବାକୁ କଣ ରହିଲା?

Word by Word

• संत्यक्ताः: abandoned, forsaken
• संत्यक्ताः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-त्यज् (धातु) → संत्यक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; PPP used predicatively

• पतिभिः: by (their) husbands
• पतिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• नार्यः: women
• नार्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• पुत्राः: sons
• पुत्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• पितृभिः: by (their) fathers
• पितृभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• निजैः: their own
• निजैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying पितृभिः)

• मातरः: mothers
• मातरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थ (adverb: likewise)

• पुत्रैः: by sons
• पुत्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• लोकेषु: in worlds
• लोकेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• अन्येषु: other
• अन्येषु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying लोकेषु)

• का: what
• का: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• कथा: talk, mention, question
• कथा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A famine-struck settlement: a wife and child left behind at a doorway; an aged mother reaching out as her son turns away; ash-grey sky and desolate streets.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When suffering intensifies, even natural bonds can fracture; dharma and compassion are presented as the needed corrective, often restored through sacred guidance and tīrtha merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse; it portrays the societal consequences that the tīrtha’s greatness will counteract in the unfolding narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse is a moral-social description of abandonment under extreme famine.