Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

तस्माद्बृहद्बलस्यैता भार्यास्तिष्ठंति या जनाः । ब्राह्मणांस्ता उपागम्य ऋतुस्नाता यथोचितान्

Transliteration

tasmādbṛhadbalasyaitā bhāryāstiṣṭhaṃti yā janāḥ | brāhmaṇāṃstā upāgamya ṛtusnātā yathocitān

Translation

Darum sollen die hier verweilenden Gemahlinnen Bṛhadbalas, nachdem sie zur rechten Zeit gebadet haben, in gebührender Weise zu den Brāhmaṇas hingehen, wie es sich ziemt.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: from that (therefore)
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• बृहद्बलस्य: of Bṛhadbala
• बृहद्बलस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृहद् (प्रातिपदिक) + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (bṛhad-bala = great-strength)

• एताः: these
• एताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• भार्याः: wives
• भार्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• तिष्ठन्ति: remain/stand
• तिष्ठन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• याः: who
• याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (relative pronoun)

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ब्राह्मणान्: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• उपागम्य: having approached
• उपागम्य: Kriya (Action—prior/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having approached’

• ऋतुस्नाताः: having bathed in the (menstrual) season
• ऋतुस्नाताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋतु (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नात (√स्ना धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (ऋतौ स्नाता = bathed at the proper season)

• यथोचितान्: as appropriate/proper
• यथोचितान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + उचित (√वच्/उच्? प्रातिपदिक ‘proper’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—अव्ययीभाव (yathā-ucita = as is proper)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator within Tīrthamāhātmya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vāsiṣṭha Kuṇḍa (implied by immediate context)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred pond-side scene: royal women (Bṛhadbala’s wives) after seasonal bath, hair still damp, approaching seated Brāhmaṇas with folded hands and offerings; the kuṇḍa glints behind, with ritual vessels and kusa grass visible.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhadbala
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma frames progeny and governance as responsibilities supported by disciplined rites and proper guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is part of the lead-up to the tīrtha called Vāsiṣṭha Kuṇḍa in this adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ṛtu-snānā and a ‘yathocita’ (duly performed) approach to qualified Brāhmaṇas are prescribed.