Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

सुप्तं मैथुनसंयुक्तं स्तनपानक्रियोद्यतम् । हत्वा मृगं जलासक्तं नरः पापेन लिप्यते

Transliteration

suptaṃ maithunasaṃyuktaṃ stanapānakriyodyatam | hatvā mṛgaṃ jalāsaktaṃ naraḥ pāpena lipyate

Translation

Wenn ein Mensch ein Tier tötet, das schläft, sich paart, zum Säugen bereit ist oder im Trinken von Wasser versunken ist, wird er vom Sündenmakel befleckt.

Word by Word

• सुप्तम्: sleeping
• सुप्तम्: Karma-visheshana (Qualifier of object/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वप् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past active participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मैथुनसंयुक्तम्: engaged in mating
• मैथुनसंयुक्तम्: Karma-visheshana (Qualifier of object/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मैथुन + संयुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (मैथुनेन संयुक्तम्)

• स्तनपानक्रियोद्यतम्: intent on the act of suckling
• स्तनपानक्रियोद्यतम्: Karma-visheshana (Qualifier of object/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्तनपान + क्रिया + उद्यत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्तनपानस्य क्रिया) + तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (तया उद्यतम्)

• हत्वा: having killed
• हत्वा: Kriya (Prior action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• मृगम्: a deer
• मृगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• जलासक्तम्: attached to water (drinking/at water)
• जलासक्तम्: Karma-visheshana (Qualifier of object/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जल + आसक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सप्तमी/तृतीया-तत्पुरुषार्थ (जले आसक्तम्)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पापेन: by sin
• पापेन: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• लिप्यते: is tainted
• लिप्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive)

Speaker

Mṛgī (the doe)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vignettes of prohibited acts: an animal curled asleep, a mating pair, a nursing mother with fawn, and a deer drinking at water—shown as ‘do not strike’ moments; the king watches, chastened.

Characters & Entities

• nara (man/hunter)
• mṛga (animal)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even sanctioned violence becomes adharma when it targets beings in vulnerable, life-sustaining acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it provides dharma-vidhi within a tīrtha-māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A dharmic restriction (vidhi) on hunting: do not kill animals while asleep, mating, suckling, or drinking.