Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । गौर्या स्तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा सावित्री हर्षवर्जिता । मखमण्डपमुद्दिश्य प्रस्खलन्ती पदेपदे

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | gauryā stadvacanaṃ śrutvā sāvitrī harṣavarjitā | makhamaṇḍapamuddiśya praskhalantī padepade

Translation

สูตกล่าวว่า ครั้นได้ฟังถ้อยคำของคุรีแล้ว สาวิตรีผู้ไร้ความยินดี ก็ออกมุ่งสู่มณฑปยัญพิธี พลางสะดุดล้มคลุกคลานทุกย่างก้าว

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

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

• गौर्याः: of Gaurī
• गौर्याः: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (Genitive) एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘वचनम्’ विशेषण

• वचनम्: speech, words
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रुत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक (having heard)

• सावित्री: Sāvitrī
• सावित्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सावित्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• हर्षवर्जिता: devoid of joy
• हर्षवर्जिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हर्ष + वर्जित (कृदन्त; √वृज्/वर्ज्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (हर्षेण वर्जिता/हर्षं वर्जिता); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘सावित्री’ विशेषण

• मखमण्डपम्: the sacrificial pavilion
• मखमण्डपम्: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मख + मण्डप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मखस्य मण्डपः); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन

• उद्दिश्य: aiming toward, intending
• उद्दिश्य: Adverbial (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + दिश् (धातु) → उद्दिश्य (ल्यप्/तुमुनर्थक अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); उद्देश्य/प्रयोजन (aiming at)

• प्रस्खलन्ती: stumbling
• प्रस्खलन्ती: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + स्खल् (धातु) → प्रस्खलन्ती (शतृ-प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle, शतृ); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘सावित्री’ सह

• पदे: at (each) step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (Locative) एकवचन; ‘पदे-पदे’ इति पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोग

• पदे: at (each) step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (step by step)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (implied by 'dvijaśreṣṭhāḥ')

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates: Sāvitrī, joyless after hearing Gaurī, heads toward the sacrificial pavilion, stumbling step by step.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Gaurī (Pārvatī)
• Sāvitrī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner turmoil affects even divine beings; the narrative underscores the need to seek truth and restore dharmic order despite emotional pain.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it points to the makha-maṇḍapa as the immediate narrative location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse references a sacrificial setting (makha), but gives no direct injunction (vidhi) here.