Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 151

Devanagari script

कन्योवाच । सौख्यस्थानं नृणां किंचिद्वेधसा ऽन्यदपश्यता । शाश्वतं चिंतयित्वाथ स्त्रीरत्नमिदमाहृतम्

Transliteration

kanyovāca | saukhyasthānaṃ nṛṇāṃ kiṃcidvedhasā 'nyadapaśyatā | śāśvataṃ ciṃtayitvātha strīratnamidamāhṛtam

Translation

หญิงสาวกล่าวว่า: “พระผู้กำหนดสรรพสิ่ง (เวธส) มิได้เห็นที่พำนักแห่งสุขอื่นใดสำหรับมนุษย์ ครั้นใคร่ครวญสิ่งอันเป็นนิรันดร์แล้ว จึงนำ ‘รัตนะ’ นี้มา—คือความเป็นสตรี”

Word by Word

• कन्या: the maiden
• कन्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सौख्यस्थानम्: a place/source of happiness
• सौख्यस्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौख्य + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (सौख्यस्य स्थानम्)

• नृणाम्: of men
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• किञ्चित्: something
• किञ्चित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किञ्चित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (something)

• वेधसा: by the Creator (Brahmā)
• वेधसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• अन्यत्: anything else
• अन्यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपश्यता: by (him) not seeing
• अपश्यता: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle) नञर्थे/निषेधार्थे: ‘not seeing’

• शाश्वतम्: eternal
• शाश्वतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाश्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चिन्तयित्वा: having considered
• चिन्तयित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive): ‘having thought/considered’

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• स्त्रीरत्नम्: the jewel of a woman / woman as a jewel
• स्त्रीरत्नम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री + रत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (रत्नरूपा स्त्री = a woman as a jewel)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आहृतम्: was brought/obtained
• आहृतम्: Kriya (Result/क्रिया-फल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-हृ (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Kanyā (the maiden/daughter)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The maiden speaks with reverence about creation; Brahmā is imagined in the background as creator, presenting ‘strī-ratna’ as a luminous jewel, while the foreground remains a calm dialogue scene.

Characters & Entities

• Vedhas (Brahmā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames human happiness and social order as part of creation, presenting womanhood as a valued element within worldly dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is explicitly named in this verse; it is part of a broader tīrtha-māhātmya discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual prescription is stated here.