Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

प्रथमं चैव नारीषु संस्कारैर्बीजवापतम् । बीजप्रक्षेपणादेव बीजक्षेपः स उच्यते

Transliteration

prathamaṃ caiva nārīṣu saṃskārairbījavāpatam | bījaprakṣepaṇādeva bījakṣepaḥ sa ucyate

Translation

„Zuerst, unter den Saṃskāras, die Frauen betreffen, steht das ‚Säen des Samens‘. Weil es gerade im Einbringen des Samens besteht, nennt man es ‚Samenwurf‘.“

Word by Word

• प्रथमम्: first
• प्रथमम्: Kriya-visheshana/Predicate (क्रमनिर्देश)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक (first)

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphasis)

• नारीषु: among women/in women
• नारीषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), बहुवचन

• संस्कारैः: by rites
• संस्कारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संस्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• बीजवापतम्: sowing of seed
• बीजवापतम्: Karma/Predicative (विधेय/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीजवापत (प्रातिपदिक; बीज+वापत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (बीजस्य वापः/वापनम्)

• बीजप्रक्षेपणात्: from the casting of seed
• बीजप्रक्षेपणात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीजप्रक्षेपण (प्रातिपदिक; बीज+प्रक्षेपण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (बीजस्य प्रक्षेपणम्)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphasis)

• बीजक्षेपः: seed-casting
• बीजक्षेपः: Karta/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीजक्षेप (प्रातिपदिक; बीज+क्षेप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (बीजस्य क्षेपः)

• सः: that
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उच्यते: is called
• उच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Same addressed listener in sequence

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A schematic teaching scene: the rishi enumerates saṃskāras; symbolic imagery of seed-sowing as a metaphor—grain/seed in a ritual bowl, a sanctified household setting, understated and instructional.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Saṃskāra
• Bīja (seed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma frames even procreation as a sanctified responsibility, initiated through defined rites rather than mere impulse.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is part of a dharma exposition within Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The first procreative saṃskāra is referenced and named as bījavāpana/bījakṣepa (seed-placement).