Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

ऋतौ स्वदारगमनं गेहिनां ब्रह्मचर्यता । यतीनां सर्वसंन्यासो मनोवाक्कायकर्मणा

Transliteration

ṛtau svadāragamanaṃ gehināṃ brahmacaryatā | yatīnāṃ sarvasaṃnyāso manovākkāyakarmaṇā

Translation

لأهل البيت، إن قصدَ الزوجةِ الشرعيةِ في الوقتِ اللائق يُعَدُّ عِفّةً وبراهماچاريا؛ أمّا للزُّهّاد (ياتي) فالتجرّدُ الكلّيّ ينبغي أن يُقام بالعقل والقول والعمل الجسدي.

Word by Word

• ṛtau: in the proper season
• ṛtau: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛtu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन — Locative singular; ‘in the season/period’

• sva-dāra-gamanam: going to one’s own wife
• sva-dāra-gamanam: Karma/Predicate-noun (कर्म/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + dāra (प्रातिपदिक) + gamana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — Nom./Acc. singular; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘स्वस्य दारान् प्रति गमनम्’)

• gehinām: of householders
• gehinām: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gehin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन — Genitive plural; ‘of householders’

• brahmacaryatā: (is) continence
• brahmacaryatā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmacarya (प्रातिपदिक) + tā (प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन — Nominative singular; भाववाचक-तद्धित (‘-tā’)

• yatīnām: of ascetics
• yatīnām: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन — Genitive plural; ‘of ascetics’

• sarva-saṃnyāsaḥ: complete renunciation
• sarva-saṃnyāsaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃnyāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन — Nominative singular; कर्मधारयः (‘सर्वः संन्यासः’)

• manasā: by mind
• manasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular; ‘by mind’

• vācā: by speech
• vācā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāc (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular; ‘by speech’

• kāyena: by body
• kāyena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular; ‘by body’

• karmaṇā: by action
• karmaṇā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular; ‘by action/deed’

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A disciple/ṛṣi interlocutor (contextual student of dharma)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A split tableau: on one side a modest householder couple with ritual calendar marks indicating proper season; on the other a saffron-clad ascetic seated in meditation, with three symbolic streams (mind, speech, body) purified.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma adapts to āśrama: householders practice regulated continence; ascetics practice complete renunciation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is specified; the verse is normative instruction on āśrama-dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A discipline is prescribed: regulated marital conduct for householders and total saṃnyāsa for ascetics.