Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 153

Devanagari script

शिरस्यगस्त्यमाधाय तथैव च पुरंदरम् । उदक्यादर्शनं स्पर्शं वर्ज्यं संभाषणं तथा

Transliteration

śirasyagastyamādhāya tathaiva ca puraṃdaram | udakyādarśanaṃ sparśaṃ varjyaṃ saṃbhāṣaṇaṃ tathā

Translation

Indem er Agastya und ebenso Purandara (Indra) als verehrungswürdige Vorbilder im Sinn trägt, soll er das Sehen einer menstruierenden Frau meiden, ihre Berührung meiden und ebenso das Gespräch während der Zeit der Einschränkung.

Word by Word

• śirasi: on the head
• śirasi: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (neut. loc. sg.)

• agastyam: Agastya (sage)
• agastyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agastya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (masc. acc. sg.)

• ādhāya: having placed
• ādhāya: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā-dhā (आ+धा धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund): having placed

• tathā: thus
• tathā: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: thus/so)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

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

• puraṃdaram: Purandara (Indra)
• puraṃdaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puraṃdara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (masc. acc. sg.)

• udakyā-darśanam: seeing a menstruating woman
• udakyā-darśanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: udakyā (प्रातिपदिक) + darśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (seeing a menstruating woman)

• sparśam: touch
• sparśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sparśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (masc. acc. sg.)

• varjyam: to be avoided
• varjyam: Vidhi (Injunction predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vṛj (वृज्/वर्ज् धातु)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/passive necessity); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (to be avoided)

• saṃbhāṣaṇam: conversation
• saṃbhāṣaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃ-bhāṣ (सम्+भाष् धातु) → saṃbhāṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neut. nom./acc. sg.)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: likewise)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee performs mental salutation to Agastya and Indra, maintaining composed distance in a household setting marked by ritual cleanliness; the emphasis is on restraint and respectful boundaries.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Purandara
• Indra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The observant devotee maintains strict boundaries of purity and restraint, following traditional dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is praised in this verse; it is a conduct rule within a vrata framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoid seeing, touching, and conversing with an udakyā (menstruating woman) during the restriction period.