Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

यूपकेतोश्च राजर्षेः शुक्रं निपतितं जले । सशुक्रं तज्जलं पीत्वा वेश्या गर्भं दधौ किल

Transliteration

yūpaketośca rājarṣeḥ śukraṃ nipatitaṃ jale | saśukraṃ tajjalaṃ pītvā veśyā garbhaṃ dadhau kila

Translation

Der Samen des königlichen ṛṣi Yūpaketu fiel ins Wasser; und man sagt, eine Veśyā trank jenes damit vermischte Wasser und empfing dadurch.

Word by Word

• yūpaketoḥ: of Yūpaketu
• yūpaketoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yūpaketu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• rājarṣeḥ: of the royal sage
• rājarṣeḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājarṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• śukram: semen
• śukram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śukra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• nipatitam: fallen
• nipatitam: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni√pat (धातु) + nipatita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying śukram)

• jale: in water
• jale: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• saśukram: containing semen
• saśukram: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa- (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + śukra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (सहित-शुक्रम् = ‘with semen’)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying jalam)

• jalam: water
• jalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• pītvā: having drunk
• pītvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having done)

• veśyā: a courtesan
• veśyā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veśyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• garbham: a fetus/pregnancy
• garbham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: garbha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• dadhau: she conceived/placed (in womb)
• dadhau: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhā (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• kila: indeed/it is said
• kila: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kila (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; hearsay/emphasis)

Speaker

Wise elder (didactic exemplification; implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A quiet riverbank: a royal sage (rājarṣi) performing austerity; a droplet of semen falls into clear water; a courtesan drinks from a small vessel, and a subtle aura indicates conception—rendered symbolically rather than explicitly.

Characters & Entities

• Yūpaketu
• rājarṣi
• veśyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas cite extraordinary births to show that creation can occur through uncommon causes; one should not hastily condemn virtue based on appearances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; it is an illustrative precedent.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it presents an example used to resolve doubt.