Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

राज्ञ्युवाच । मा मां स्पृश महाराज कारणज्ञां व्रते स्थिताम् । धर्माधर्मौ विजानासि मा कार्षीः साहसं मयि

Transliteration

rājñyuvāca | mā māṃ spṛśa mahārāja kāraṇajñāṃ vrate sthitām | dharmādharmau vijānāsi mā kārṣīḥ sāhasaṃ mayi

Translation

राज्ञ्युवाच—मा मां स्पृश, महाराज; कारणं जानामि व्रते च स्थितास्मि। त्वं धर्माधर्मौ विजानासि; मयि साहसं मा कार्षीः।

Word by Word

• राज्ञी: the queen
• राज्ञी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्ञी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• मा: do not
• मा: Pratiṣedha (Prohibition/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (prohibitive particle)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्पृश: touch
• स्पृश: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कारणज्ञाम्: knowing the reason
• कारणज्ञाम्: Karman (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying ‘माम्’)

• व्रते: in a vow/observance
• व्रते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्थिताम्: standing/remaining
• स्थिताम्: Karman (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक-विशेषण (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘माम्’)

• धर्माधर्मौ: dharma and adharma
• धर्माधर्मौ: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अधर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), द्विवचन (Dual)

• विजानासि: you know/discern
• विजानासि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• मा: do not
• मा: Pratiṣedha (Prohibition/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (prohibitive particle)

• कार्षीः: do/commit
• कार्षीः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist/Imperative-prohibitive sense with ‘मा’), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• साहसम्: violence/outrage
• साहसम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साहस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• मयि: towards/in me
• मयि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Rājñī (the Queen, Kalāvatī by narrative context)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: राजा (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A queen, composed yet firm, raises a hand in refusal before a king; the atmosphere is tense but morally luminous, with symbols of vrata (sacred thread, water-pot, lamp) indicating her vow.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires self-control: even within marriage, one must honor vows and avoid coercion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is praised in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A vrata (vow/observance) is explicitly mentioned as the reason for restraint.