Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

एवं तु चिंतयानस्य सीमंतोन्नयनादनु । मासद्वयं तद्व्रजति पीडतस्त्रियुगाकृति

Transliteration

evaṃ tu ciṃtayānasya sīmaṃtonnayanādanu | māsadvayaṃ tadvrajati pīḍatastriyugākṛti

Translation

So vergehen, während es weiter so sinnt, nach dem Ritus des sīmaṃtonnayana (Scheitelziehen) noch zwei Monate für jenes Wesen—seine Gestalt eng und gedrückt in dreifacher Krümmung.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus, in this manner
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• चिन्तयानस्य: of (him) who is thinking
• चिन्तयानस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation: “of one who is thinking”)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्तयत् (कृदन्त, √चिन्त् धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/genitive), एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-सम्भव (here: genitive singular of the agent)

• सीमन्त-उन्नयनात्: from/after the rite of parting the hair (sīmantonnayana)
• सीमन्त-उन्नयनात्: Apādāna (Ablative: from/after)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सीमन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + उन्नयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी विभक्ति (5th/ablative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (सीमन्तस्य उन्नयनम्)

• अनु: after, following
• अनु: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial: following)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्ग/क्रियाविशेषण (postposition/adverb: after, following)

• मास-द्वयम्: a period of two months
• मास-द्वयम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa / Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal extent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (द्वौ मासौ)

• तत्: that (state/condition)
• तत्: Karma (Object, with vṛjati)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• व्रजति: goes, proceeds, reaches
• व्रजति: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present indicative); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पीडतः: from distress, due to pain
• पीडतः: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/source: from distress)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी विभक्ति (5th/ablative), एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण (as qualifier)

• त्रि-युग-आकृतिः: (the fetus/being) having the form of three yugas (i.e., threefold-aged/three-stage form)
• त्रि-युग-आकृतिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + युग (प्रातिपदिक) + आकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (त्रीणि युगानि यस्याः/यस्य)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fetus in the womb, cramped in three bends, time passing after the sīmaṃtonnayana rite; the mother shown in domestic ritual setting while the unseen inner being contemplates and suffers.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even amid ritual milestones of life, the jīva remains constrained by embodiment and suffering, prompting reflection on liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced; this is a doctrinal and descriptive passage on pregnancy and embodiment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sīmaṃtonnayana is mentioned as a household saṃskāra traditionally performed during pregnancy.