Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

मम तुल्यं तपश्चक्रे शूद्रयोनावपि स्थिता । निवर्तते तु यद्येषा तपसस्तु निवर्तनम् । करोम्यद्य जगन्नाथ तदहं संशयं विना

Transliteration

mama tulyaṃ tapaścakre śūdrayonāvapi sthitā | nivartate tu yadyeṣā tapasastu nivartanam | karomyadya jagannātha tadahaṃ saṃśayaṃ vinā

Translation

แม้นางจะเกิดในครรภ์ศูทร แต่ก็บำเพ็ญตบะเสมอด้วยข้าพเจ้า หากนางหันกลับจากตบะของตนแล้วไซร้ ข้าแต่ชคันนาถ ข้าพเจ้าก็จักยุติตบะของตนในวันนี้โดยปราศจากความสงสัย

Word by Word

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• तुल्यम्: equal (to me)
• तुल्यम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2) एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (equal to me)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन

• चक्रे: performed
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• शूद्रयोनौ: in a Śūdra birth
• शूद्रयोनौ: Adhikarana (Location/State/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7/अधिकरण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शूद्रस्य योनि)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-कार (even)

• स्थिता: being situated; though placed
• स्थिता: Pradhana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying एषा understood)

• निवर्तते: turns back; ceases
• निवर्तते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/विरोध (but/indeed)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Conditional linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक (if)

• एषा: this (woman)
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन

• तपसः: of austerity
• तपसः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (indeed)

• निवर्तनम्: cessation; stopping
• निवर्तनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निवर्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन

• करोमि: I do; I will do
• करोमि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अद्य: today; now
• अद्य: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (today/now)

• जगन्नाथ: O Lord of the world
• जगन्नाथ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जगतः नाथः)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन; निर्देश (that)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन

• संशयम्: doubt
• संशयम्: Karma (Object with vinā/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; 'विना' इत्यनेन सह (without doubt)

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Prepositional particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वियोग/अभावार्थक उपपद (without)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The brāhmaṇī speaks with firm resolve, indicating her friend; Ratnāvatī stands as a humble tapasvinī despite royal birth, while the verse stresses her Śūdra birth in this line—depict as socially modest yet spiritually radiant; Śiva listens as judge of tapas.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Jagannātha epithet used here)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual effort (tapas) is honored for its sincerity, not merely for social origin; compassion motivates the devotee’s vow.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The particular tīrtha is not named in this verse; it remains within the chapter’s tīrtha-māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A vow-like resolve is stated: the speaker will cease her own tapas if her companion withdraws—highlighting solidarity in ascetic practice.