Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

ततोहं गृहपो भूयां बांधवो ह्यपि बांधवम् । स्नुषापि वेत्ति चित्तेन यदि श्वश्रूः क्षयं व्रजेत्

Transliteration

tatohaṃ gṛhapo bhūyāṃ bāṃdhavo hyapi bāṃdhavam | snuṣāpi vetti cittena yadi śvaśrūḥ kṣayaṃ vrajet

Translation

于是人心起念：“愿我成为一家之主。”甚至亲族也算计亲族。连儿媳也在心中明知并筹谋：若婆母一旦逝去，将如何行事。

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रादुर्भाव/अनन्तरार्थक (adverb: then/thereafter)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-प्रत्ययार्थक सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• गृहपः: master of the house
• गृहपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• भूयाम्: may I become
• भूयाम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular)

• बान्धवः: a kinsman
• बान्धवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बान्धव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: indeed/for)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावन/अपि-कार (particle: also/even)

• बान्धवम्: a kinsman (as object)
• बान्धवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बान्धव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्नुषा: daughter-in-law
• स्नुषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नुषा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावन/अपि-कार (particle: also/even)

• वेत्ति: knows
• वेत्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• चित्तेन: with the mind
• चित्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-निपात (conditional particle: if)

• श्वश्रूः: mother-in-law
• श्वश्रूः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वश्रू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• क्षयम्: destruction/end
• क्षयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• व्रजेत्: should go/meet
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A household interior: relatives whispering, eyes narrowed; a daughter-in-law watching an elder with concealed intent; outside, pilgrims move toward a tīrtha as an alternative path.

Characters & Entities

• Kali Yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kali drives greed and rivalry even within families; dharma requires contentment, gratitude, and protection of kinship bonds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is explicitly named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is stated; the focus is ethical degeneration.