Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

अध्रुवं तद्ध्रवत्वे च कथंचित्परिकल्प्यते । तत्रापि दुर्लभानाम समानव्रतचारिणी

Transliteration

adhruvaṃ taddhravatve ca kathaṃcitparikalpyate | tatrāpi durlabhānāma samānavratacāriṇī

Translation

Непостоянное каким-то образом воображают постоянным. И даже там, среди редких обретений, встречается жена, не соблюдающая тех же обетов и правил подвижничества.

Word by Word

• अध्रुवम्: impermanent, unstable
• अध्रुवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; adjective)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; pronoun)

• ध्रवत्वे: in the state of permanence
• ध्रवत्वे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्रवत्व (प्रातिपदिक; भाववाचक-तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

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

• कथंचित्: somehow, by some means
• कथंचित्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• परिकल्प्यते: is imagined/constructed
• परिकल्प्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि√कॢप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Present, 3rd sg, Ātmanepada; passive)

• तत्र: there, in that matter
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अप्यर्थ-निपात (particle: also/even)

• दुर्लभानाम्: of the rare (things)
• दुर्लभानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (Genitive plural; adjective)

• असमानव्रतचारिणी: a woman not following the same vow/observance
• असमानव्रतचारिणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-समाना + व्रत + चारिणी (प्रातिपदिक); √चर् (धातु) + णिन् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष-समास (Feminine, Nominative, Singular; negating tatpurusha)

Speaker

Himācala

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative sage instructs about the mirage-like stability of worldly life; a household scene appears as a fading illusion behind him, symbolizing unstable vows and mismatched disciplines.

Characters & Entities

• Himācala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mistaking impermanence for permanence leads to suffering; dharmic harmony in shared vows is also rare and precious.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse is ethical-philosophical rather than geographical.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it alludes to vrata as disciplined religious conduct.