Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

चलितापि पुनश्चास्याः सुपत्न्या वाक्यतः स्थिता । कियंतं चैव कालं मे कार्पण्यं महदास्थितम्

Transliteration

calitāpi punaścāsyāḥ supatnyā vākyataḥ sthitā | kiyaṃtaṃ caiva kālaṃ me kārpaṇyaṃ mahadāsthitam

Translation

ఆమె (లక్ష్మీ) మళ్లీ వెళ్లిపోవడానికి సిద్ధమైనా, ఆ సద్గుణవతి సహపత్నీ మాటలవల్ల నిలిచింది. అతడు మనసులో—“ఎంతకాలంగా నాకు ఈ మహా దారిద్ర్యము, కార్పణ్యము అంటుకొని ఉంది?” అని తలంచెను.

Word by Word

• चलिता: moved, shaken
• चलिता: Karta (as predicate adjective)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चल् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; धातु: चल् (to move)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): even/also

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Adhikarana (काल/पुनरावृत्ति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): again

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction): and

• अस्याः: of her
• अस्याः: Sambandha (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• सुपत्न्या: by the good wife
• सुपत्न्या: Karana/Hetu (instrument/cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + पत्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास: सु-पत्नी (good wife); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• वाक्यतः: from her words, by what was said
• वाक्यतः: Hetu (cause/source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): वाक्यतः = from (her) words/according to speech

• स्थिता: remained, stood firm
• स्थिता: Kriya (predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; धातु: स्था (to stand/remain)

• कियन्तम्: how long (how much)
• कियन्तम्: Karma (object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कियत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-विशेषण (qualifying कालम्)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction): and

• एव: indeed
• एव: Nishchaya (emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): indeed/just

• कालम्: time
• कालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (enclitic)

• कार्पण्यम्: wretchedness, misery
• कार्पण्यम्: Karta/Pratipādya (subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्पण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying कार्पण्यम्)

• आस्थितम्: has been assumed/undergone
• आस्थितम्: Kriya (predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; धातु: स्था with उपसर्ग आ- (to assume/undertake)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, within Sūta’s narration of the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Lakṣmī personified as a radiant yet turning figure about to depart; a virtuous woman (su-patnī) speaks words that ‘hold her back’; the man reflects on long years of poverty.

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmī (as calā, ‘fickle fortune’)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly fortune is unstable; dharmic counsel and restraint prevent rash action and prepare one for righteous response.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated here; it sets up the later emphasis on dāna (charitable distribution) as the dharmic remedy.