Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

ऋतुकाले तु नारीणां सेवनाज्जायते सुतः । सुतात्स्वर्गश्च मोक्षश्च हीत्येवं श्रुतिनोदना

Transliteration

ṛtukāle tu nārīṇāṃ sevanājjāyate sutaḥ | sutātsvargaśca mokṣaśca hītyevaṃ śrutinodanā

Translation

Zur rechten Zeit der Frau entsteht aus der Vereinigung ein Sohn; und durch den Sohn werden Himmel und sogar Befreiung (mokṣa) erlangt—so drängt es die heilige Überlieferung.

Word by Word

• ऋतुकाले: in the season/time (of fertility)
• ऋतुकाले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋतु + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ṛtoḥ kālaḥ)

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction/particle; contrast/emphasis)

• नारीणाम्: of women
• नारीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सेवनात्: from intercourse/service
• सेवनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेवन (प्रातिपदिक; √सेव् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• जायते: is born, arises
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• सुतः: a son
• सुतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सुतात्: from a son
• सुतात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्वर्गः: heaven
• स्वर्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• मोक्षः: liberation
• मोक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/reason)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha/Quotation marker (इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्य-समाप्ति-सूचक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• एवम्: in this way
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb)

• श्रुतिनोदना: the injunction of the śruti
• श्रुतिनोदना: Karta-predicative (Subject complement/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुति + नोदना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (śruteḥ nodanā)

Speaker

Narrator of Revā Khaṇḍa (deduced; explicit speaker not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha frame (implied tarpaṇa suitability)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naroत्तम/Bhārata (frame interlocutor)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: the couple in a sanctified household setting during ṛtu-kāla; in the background, ancestors receiving tarpaṇa at a riverbank; above, a luminous path to svarga/mokṣa suggested through iconographic motifs.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames timely, dharmic household conduct as a sanctioned path that supports progeny and the broader religious goals of merit, heaven, and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse, but it occurs within the Revā Khaṇḍa, oriented to the greatness of the Revā/Narmadā sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A dharma-guideline is implied: conjugal union at ṛtukāla (the proper season), presented as supported by Śruti.