Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

पुत्रानुत्पादनाच्चैव पितृणामृणवान्भवेत् । विनापि ब्रह्मचर्येण विना यागं विना सुतम्

Transliteration

putrānutpādanāccaiva pitṛṇāmṛṇavānbhavet | vināpi brahmacaryeṇa vinā yāgaṃ vinā sutam

Translation

Und wer keinen Sohn zeugt, wird den Pitṛs gegenüber zum Schuldner. Selbst ohne Brahmacarya, ohne Opfer und ohne Nachkommenschaft bleibt die Last der Schuld bestehen.

Word by Word

• पुत्र: son/offspring
• पुत्र: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; अत्र समासपूर्वपदत्वेन (पुत्र + अनुत्पादन) प्रातिपदिक; विभक्ति-निर्देशः न (समासाङ्ग)

• अनुत्पादनात्: from not producing (begetting)
• अनुत्पादनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुत्पादन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; 'अन-' नञ् + उत्पादन (उत्+पद्/उत्पाद् भाव)

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• पितृणाम्: of the ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितृणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• ऋणवान्: indebted
• ऋणवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋणवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; विशेषण

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Exclusion/वियोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अपवर्जन/वियोग-अव्यय (preposition-like: 'without'); सामान्यतः तृतीया/द्वितीया-सहयोगी

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Addition/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कार-अव्यय (also/even)

• ब्रह्मचर्येण: with/through brahmacarya
• ब्रह्मचर्येण: Sahacarya/Instrument (Association/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Exclusion/वियोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अपवर्जन/वियोग-अव्यय (without)

• यागम्: sacrifice (ritual offering)
• यागम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Exclusion/वियोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अपवर्जन/वियोग-अव्यय (without)

• सुतम्: a son
• सुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ṛṇamokṣa

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An elder couple without children offers water with sesame to ancestral figures; the atmosphere is sober, emphasizing pitṛ-ṛṇa and the longing for release.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Putra (son/offspring)
• Brahmacarya
• Yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ancestral obligation (pitṛ-ṛṇa) is treated as a real dharmic bond; household duties sustain lineage and ancestral rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This teaching underpins the merit of Ṛṇamocana tīrtha in the Setu region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, fulfilling pitṛ-dharma through progeny and the life of prescribed rites; the verse highlights consequences of omission.