Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

तथातथा गृहस्थस्य कामवृद्धिः प्रजायते । ब्रह्मचारीगृहस्थश्च वानप्रस्थो यतिस्तथा

Transliteration

tathātathā gṛhasthasya kāmavṛddhiḥ prajāyate | brahmacārīgṛhasthaśca vānaprastho yatistathā

Translation

এইভাবে গৃহস্থের ধর্মসম্মত কাম্য-লক্ষ্যও বৃদ্ধি পায়; ব্রহ্মচারী, গৃহস্থ, বানপ্রস্থ বা যতি—জীবনের সকল আশ্রমের জন্যই এই সেবা ফলপ্রদ।

Word by Word

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध-क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• तथा: so/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध-क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• गृहस्थस्य: of the householder
• गृहस्थस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• कामवृद्धिः: increase of desire
• कामवृद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम-वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक; काम + वृद्धि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• प्रजायते: arises/is produced
• प्रजायते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ब्रह्मचारीगृहस्थः: the brahmacārin and the householder (as a class)
• ब्रह्मचारीगृहस्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचारी-गृहस्थ (प्रातिपदिक; ब्रह्मचारी + गृहस्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचन (समाहार/समुदायवाचक)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक conjunction)

• वानप्रस्थः: the forest-dweller (vānaprastha)
• वानप्रस्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वानप्रस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• यतिः: the ascetic (yati)
• यतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध-क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

Speaker

Deductive: Brahmā in Brahma–Nārada dialogue (continuing Tulasī-māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tulasī-sevā (āśrama-sāmānya)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A four-panel tableau: a student with a water pot, a householder couple at a courtyard shrine, a forest-dweller in simple garb near a hut, and a renunciant with staff and japa-mālā—each offering reverence to Tulasī, showing one practice across life-stages.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmacārin
• Gṛhastha
• Vānaprastha
• Yati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional observances like Tulasī-sevā are not limited to one social role; they are fruitful across all four āśramas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The emphasis is on dharma across life-stages within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya narrative setting, rather than a distinct tīrtha name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit continuation of Tulasī-sevā/vrata; this verse clarifies eligibility and scope of benefit for all āśramas.