Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

शांडिल्युवाच । शृणु साध्वि प्रवक्ष्यामि तवाहं गुह्यमुत्तमम् । यथा ममाभवद्वश्यो मुखप्रेक्षस्तथा पतिः

Transliteration

śāṃḍilyuvāca | śṛṇu sādhvi pravakṣyāmi tavāhaṃ guhyamuttamam | yathā mamābhavadvaśyo mukhaprekṣastathā patiḥ

Translation

Disse Śāṇḍilya: Ouve, ó senhora virtuosa; eu te direi o segredo supremo. Por ele, meu esposo tornou-se dócil e sempre atento, fitando o meu rosto; assim também o teu esposo poderá tornar-se.

Word by Word

• शांडिल्यः: Śāṇḍilya
• शांडिल्यः: Karta (Speaker/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शांडिल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• साध्वि: O virtuous lady
• साध्वि: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साध्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I will explain
• प्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तव: for you/of you
• तव: Sampradāna (Beneficiary)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• गुह्यम्: a secret (teaching)
• गुह्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; गुह्यम् इति विशेषण

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Correlative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (as/how)

• मम: my/of me
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• अभवत्: became/was
• अभवत्: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• वश्यः: obedient/submissive
• वश्यः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• मुखप्रेक्षः: face-attentive
• मुखप्रेक्षः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुख + प्रेक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मुखस्य प्रेक्षः)

• तथा: so/likewise
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Correlative adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, तदनुरूपवाचक (so/likewise)

• पतिः: husband
• पतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Śāṇḍilya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: a virtuous lady (the petitioner; contextually Kātyāyanī or the addressed sādhvī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śāṇḍilya (as authoritative teacher) speaks with a calm, confident gesture, revealing a ‘secret’ practice; the listener sits attentive, eyes fixed, hands folded; a manuscript or rosary indicates instruction and discipline.

Characters & Entities

• Śāṇḍilya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic dharma often transmits practical household guidance through “guhya” counsel given with compassion and restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha name appears in this verse; it introduces an instruction within the chapter’s Tīrthamāhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not yet; this verse announces that a secret method/observance will be explained.