Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

नरो हि गृहिणीहीनो अर्धदेह इति स्मृतः । यथात्मना विना देहे कार्यं किंचिन्न सिध्यति

Transliteration

naro hi gṛhiṇīhīno ardhadeha iti smṛtaḥ | yathātmanā vinā dehe kāryaṃ kiṃcinna sidhyati

Translation

Tunay nga, ang lalaking walang asawa ay inaalala bilang “may kalahating katawan”. Kung paanong sa katawang walang ātman ay walang gawaing maisasakatuparan, gayon din, sa ganitong kakulangan ay hindi ganap na natutupad ang mga tungkulin ng buhay.

Word by Word

• नरः: man
• नरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• गृहिणीहीनः: without a wife
• गृहिणीहीनः: Visheshana (विशेषण) of नरः
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गृहिणी (प्रातिपदिक) + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (gṛhiṇyāḥ hīnaḥ = 'devoid of a wife')

• अर्धदेहः: half a body
• अर्धदेहः: Pratijñā/Predicate nominative (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (अर्धः देहः = 'half-body')

• इति: thus
• इति: Quotation marker (उक्तिसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• स्मृतः: is regarded
• स्मृतः: Kriyā (predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि-प्रत्यय (PPP/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे 'is considered/remembered'

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'as/just as')

• आत्मना: by the self
• आत्मना: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Apādāna/Exclusion (अपादान/वियोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: उपपद-अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable) governing तृतीया/पञ्चमी; here with तृतीया

• देहे: in the body
• देहे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• कार्यं: work, function
• कार्यं: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; here as subject of सिध्यति

• किंचित्: anything
• किंचित्: Karta (कर्ता) (qualifier of कार्यम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किंचित् (सर्वनाम/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अनिश्चितपरिमाणवाचक (indefinite pronoun)

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

• सिध्यति: succeeds/gets accomplished
• सिध्यति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सिध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Same narrator (didactic voice) within Sūta’s discourse (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative teacher-figure instructs a pilgrim/householder: the human body shown with a luminous ātman at the heart; beside it, a couple performing a small homa, indicating ‘sahadharma’.

Characters & Entities

• Ātman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Householder life is portrayed as a dharmic partnership; without it, worldly and ritual duties are considered incomplete.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the teaching is ethical and āśrama-based.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; it frames the necessity of household order for sustaining dharmic works.