Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

अन्यजातिसमुद्भूता अन्येन विधृता यदि । तावुभौ धर्मकार्येषु संत्याज्यौ नित्यदा मतौ

Transliteration

anyajātisamudbhūtā anyena vidhṛtā yadi | tāvubhau dharmakāryeṣu saṃtyājyau nityadā matau

Translation

Wenn eine Frau, die aus einer anderen sozialen Gruppe stammt, von einem anderen Mann genommen wird, so gelten beide stets als von dharmischen Handlungen ausgeschlossen.

Word by Word

• anyajāti-samudbhūtā: born of another caste
• anyajāti-samudbhūtā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya + jāti + samudbhūta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; samud√bhū)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—अन्यजाति-समुद्भूता (‘born from another caste’)

• anyena: by another (man)
• anyena: Karana (Agent/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• vidhṛtā: kept/maintained (as wife)
• vidhṛtā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi√dhṛ (कृदन्त; विधृत)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (PPP)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (if)

• tau: those two
• tau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन

• ubhau: both
• ubhau: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; विशेषण

• dharma-kāryeṣu: in religious duties
• dharma-kāryeṣu: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma + kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; समासः—धर्मस्य कार्याणि

• saṃtyājyau: to be abandoned
• saṃtyājyau: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicative qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam√tyaj (कृदन्त; त्याज्य/gerundive)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; भाव्य (gerundive: ‘to be abandoned’)

• nityadā: always
• nityadā: Sambandha (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nityadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालार्थक-अव्यय (always)

• matau: are considered
• matau: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicative qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √man)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; भूतकृदन्त (PPP) — ‘considered/held (to be)’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tīrtha assembly where a priest indicates exclusion from a ritual circle; the mood is admonitory, emphasizing boundaries of dharmic participation.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text links social/ritual order with eligibility for formal dharmic rites, reflecting a normative dharma framework.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific pilgrimage site is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It states a rule of exclusion from dharma-kāryas (formal rites), without naming a particular ceremony.