Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

सर्पिर्लव णहिंग्वादिक्षयेऽपि व पति व्रता । पतिं नास्तीति न ब्रूयादायसीषु न भोजयेत्

Transliteration

sarpirlava ṇahiṃgvādikṣaye'pi va pati vratā | patiṃ nāstīti na brūyādāyasīṣu na bhojayet

Translation

即使酥油、盐、阿魏等诸物都已用尽，守夫誓的妻子也不应说“没有给丈夫的”；也不应以铁器盛食奉夫。

Word by Word

• सर्पिः: ghee
• सर्पिः: Adhikarana/Topic (विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्पिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter nominative singular)

• लवण: salt
• लवण: Adhikarana/Topic (विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter nominative singular)

• हिङ्गु: asafoetida
• हिङ्गु: Adhikarana/Topic (विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिङ्गु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter nominative singular)

• आदि: and the like
• आदि: Sambandha (Etc./आदि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: समाहारार्थक-प्रयोगे अव्ययवत् (etc.; used as indeclinable)

• क्षये: in the shortage / when depleted
• क्षये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masc. locative singular: “in/at the depletion”)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Addition/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (even/also)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (or)

• पतिव्रता: a devoted wife
• पतिव्रता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक) + टाप् (स्त्रीप्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पति-व्रता = “husband as vow/whose vow is husband”)

• पतिम्: husband
• पतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masc. accusative singular)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (not)

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (is/exists)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation/उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative “thus”)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (not)

• ब्रूयात्: should say
• ब्रूयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (should say)

• आयसिषु: in iron (vessels)
• आयसिषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आयसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (fem. locative plural; “in iron (vessels)”)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (not)

• भोजयेत्: should feed / serve (food)
• भोजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-अर्थे (causative sense: “should feed/serve food”)

Speaker

Unspecified (Dharmāraṇya narrative voice; didactic instruction in context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A simple kitchen scene: nearly empty jars of ghee/salt; wife serves modest food in a clean non-iron vessel with composed expression, emphasizing dignity amid scarcity.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is maintained through careful speech and respectful service even in scarcity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Food-service etiquette: avoid discouraging speech about the husband’s provision and avoid feeding in an iron vessel.