Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

सादुर्वृत्त्या परित्यज्य पतिधर्मं सनातनम् । स्वच्छंदचारिणी भूत्वामृतानिरयमुद्ययौ

Transliteration

sādurvṛttyā parityajya patidharmaṃ sanātanam | svacchaṃdacāriṇī bhūtvāmṛtānirayamudyayau

Translation

Ngunit siya, sa masamang asal, tinalikuran ang walang hanggang tungkulin sa asawa; naging sunod sa sariling pita, namatay at bumagsak sa impiyerno.

Word by Word

• सा: she
• सा: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• दुर्वृत्त्या: by evil conduct
• दुर्वृत्त्या: करण/हेतु (Means/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• परित्यज्य: having abandoned
• परित्यज्य: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having abandoned’

• पतिधर्मम्: the duty toward (her) husband
• पतिधर्मम्: कर्म (Object of ‘परित्यज्य’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (tatpuruṣa): पतेः धर्मः; पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• सनातनम्: eternal/ancient
• सनातनम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सनातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular); पतिधर्मम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• स्वच्छन्दचारिणी: a woman who acts at her own will
• स्वच्छन्दचारिणी: कर्ता (Subject/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वच्छन्द + चारिणी (प्रातिपदिक; √चर् धातु से ‘चारिन्/चारिणी’)
• Form: समासः (karmadhāraya): स्वच्छन्दा च सा चारिणी; स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having become’

• मृता: dead
• मृता: कर्ता (Subject, state)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• निरयम्: hell
• निरयम्: कर्म/गति (Goal/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• उद्ययौ: she went up/went to
• उद्ययौ: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sage/audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A woman turning away from the path of duty, stepping into shadow; the scene shifts from auspicious light to a grim ascent toward a hellish realm—dark clouds, fearful messengers, and a broken garland symbolizing lost virtue.

Characters & Entities

• Pati-dharma
• Niraya (hell)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma—living by impulse and rejecting duty—leads to painful karmic results; dharma is presented as protective and sustaining.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is ethical instruction within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī setting, not a direct tirtha-glorification line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a statement of karmic consequence tied to dharmic conduct.