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

他们同来时，也带来一位名叫孙难陀（Sunandā）的婆罗门女子；她已守寡，来到此处，为在河岸修行苦行。

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.