Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

गृहान्निष्क्राम्य मां रंडां गृहं नीत्वाऽकरोद्रतिम् । कस्मादसौ न कुरुते मूढो भरणपोषणम्

Transliteration

gṛhānniṣkrāmya māṃ raṃḍāṃ gṛhaṃ nītvā'karodratim | kasmādasau na kurute mūḍho bharaṇapoṣaṇam

Translation

“เขาพาข้าพเจ้า—หญิงหม้าย—ออกจากเรือนของข้าพเจ้าไปยังเรือนของเขาเพื่อเสพสุขกามรส แล้วเหตุใดคนเขลานั้นจึงไม่ทำหน้าที่ธรรมในการเลี้ยงดูอุปถัมภ์?”

Word by Word

• गृहात्: from the house
• गृहात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• निष्क्राम्य: having gone out
• निष्क्राम्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निस्+क्रम् (धातु) → निष्क्राम्य (कृदन्त, ल्यप्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (absolutive), अर्थः—बहिः गत्वा (having gone out)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्री/पुं (वक्तृ-आश्रय), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• रंडाम्: a widow/abandoned woman
• रंडाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण्डा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेष्य-सम्बोधनार्थे (appositional to ‘mām’)

• गृहम्: to the house/home
• गृहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• नीत्वा: having taken
• नीत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नी (धातु) → नीत्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), अर्थः—नेयित्वा (having led/taken)

• अकरोत्: did, made
• अकरोत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• रतिम्: sexual pleasure/union
• रतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कस्मात्: why, for what reason
• कस्मात्: Hetu (Reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; हेतौ (why/from what reason)

• असौ: that man
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• कुरुते: does
• कुरुते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• मूढः: the fool
• मूढः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूढ (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-निष्पन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणवत् (foolish)

• भरणपोषणम्: support and maintenance
• भरणपोषणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरण + पोषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (भरणं च पोषणं च)

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice within Sūta’s recitation in Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A distressed widow speaks in a public space, pointing toward the man who took her from her home; her words accuse him of seeking pleasure but refusing maintenance.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire without responsibility is adharma; Purāṇic ethics condemn exploitation and emphasize protection and maintenance as duty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage belongs to Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya, the glorification of Prabhāsa (Somnātha region) as a sacred field where dharma is taught through narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it focuses on moral duty (bharaṇa-poṣaṇa) as dharma.