Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

समानीतास्तैश्च साकं सुनंदा नाम ब्राह्मणी । विधवाभ्यागता तत्र तपस्तप्तुं महीतटे

Transliteration

samānītāstaiśca sākaṃ sunaṃdā nāma brāhmaṇī | vidhavābhyāgatā tatra tapastaptuṃ mahītaṭe

Translation

ان کے ساتھ سُنندا نامی ایک برہمن عورت بھی لائی گئی؛ وہ بیوہ تھی اور دریا کے کنارے تپسیا کرنے کے لیے وہاں آئی تھی۔

Word by Word

• समानीताः: brought, assembled
• समानीताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-नीत (कृदन्त; √नी (नयने) क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन (nom. pl. masc.); कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘brought’

• तैः: by them
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/Agent/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन (instr. pl.)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• साकम्: together with
• साकम्: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साकम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक (prepositional adverb: with)

• सुनन्दा: Sunandā
• सुनन्दा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुनन्दा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन (nom. sg.)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नामनिर्देशक (indeclinable: ‘by name’)

• ब्राह्मणी: a Brahmin woman
• ब्राह्मणी: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन (nom. sg.)

• विधवा: widowed
• विधवा: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विधवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन (nom. sg.); विशेषण

• अभ्यागता: having come, arrived
• अभ्यागता: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-आ-गता (कृदन्त; √गम् (गतौ) क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन (nom. sg. fem.)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb: there)

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (acc. sg.)

• तप्तुम्: to perform (penance)
• तप्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √तप् (तपसि/दाहे) तुमुन्
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive); कर्तरि (to perform austerity)

• महीतटे: on the riverbank/shore of the earth (ground-bank)
• महीतटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक) + तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन (loc. sg.); ‘महीतट’ = पृथिव्याः तटः

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sunandā, a widowed brāhmaṇa woman, arrives quietly at a riverbank with minimal belongings; she sits in meditation near reeds and a small fire altar, while brāhmaṇas and Nārada are seen in the distance, suggesting her being brought along and choosing tapas.

Characters & Entities

• Sunandā
• Brāhmaṇī
• Nārada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even amid personal loss, steadfast tapas performed at a holy bank becomes a dharmic path to purification and divine favor.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sacred riverbank/shore connected to the Vaṭayakṣiṇī narrative is being praised as a fit place for tapas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing tapas (austerities) at the sacred bank is presented as the chosen discipline.