Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

व्रतोपवामनियमं पतिमुल्लंघ्य या चरेत् । आयुष्यं हरते भर्तुर्मृता निरयमृच्छति

Transliteration

vratopavāmaniyamaṃ patimullaṃghya yā caret | āyuṣyaṃ harate bharturmṛtā nirayamṛcchati

Translation

女子若越过丈夫而自行修持誓愿、斋戒与诸行，则被说为夺减夫主寿命；死后堕入地狱。

Word by Word

• व्रत: vow
• व्रत: Sambandha (Compound-member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• उपवास: fasting
• उपवास: Sambandha (Compound-member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• नियमम्: observance / rule
• नियमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पूर्वपदसमाहार-समासे उत्तरपद (masc. accusative singular)

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

• उल्लङ्घ्य: having transgressed
• उल्लङ्घ्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत् (उपसर्ग) + लङ्घ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): “having transgressed”

• या: she who
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun: “she who”)

• चरेत्: should practice
• चरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (should practice/perform)

• आयुष्यम्: lifespan
• आयुष्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter accusative singular)

• हरते: takes away
• हरते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (takes away)

• भर्तुः: of (her) husband
• भर्तुः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masc. genitive singular: “of the husband”)

• मृता: having died
• मृता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृ (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि-क्त (past participle: “dead”, used predicatively of the woman)

• निरयम्: hell
• निरयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masc. accusative singular)

• ऋच्छति: goes to / attains
• ऋच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ऋच्छ्/गम् (धात्वर्थे गमन)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (goes/attains)

Speaker

Unspecified (Dharmāraṇya narrative voice; didactic instruction in context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A split scene: on one side a woman fasting in rigidity while husband appears weakened; on the other, a dark naraka vignette as cautionary backdrop—symbolic rather than literal realism.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Religious practice is portrayed as needing alignment with one’s dharmic duties; observances done in defiance are condemned.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the focus is on vrata-phala and transgression.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A restriction: do not perform vows/fasts/observances in a manner that violates the husband’s authority in this dharma-framework.