Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

पर्वमैथुनसेवी च तथा वै सेतुभेदकः । परिणीतामृतुस्नातां स्वयं यो नाभिगच्छति

Transliteration

parvamaithunasevī ca tathā vai setubhedakaḥ | pariṇītāmṛtusnātāṃ svayaṃ yo nābhigacchati

Translation

Wer an verbotenen heiligen Tagen dem Beischlaf frönt; wer Damm, Steg oder heiligen Wall zerstört; und wer sich seiner rechtmäßig angetrauten Frau nicht nähert, nachdem sie nach der monatlichen Reinigung gebadet hat—auch ein solcher Mann fällt in Sünde.

Word by Word

• पर्वमैथुनसेवी: one who practices intercourse on forbidden/holy days
• पर्वमैथुनसेवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वन् + मैथुन + सेवी (प्रातिपदिक; सेवी < √सेव्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पर्वणि मैथुनं सेवते)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: likewise)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय/निपात (emphatic particle)

• सेतुभेदकः: breaker of a bridge/causeway
• सेतुभेदकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेतु + भेदक (प्रातिपदिक; भेदक < √भिद्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सेतोः भेदकः)

• परिणीतामृतुस्नाताम्: a married woman who has bathed after menses
• परिणीतामृतुस्नाताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिणीता (स्त्री; √नी क्त) + मृतुस्नाता (स्त्री; मृत + स्नाता < √स्ना क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (परिणीता च सा मृतुस्नाता च)

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: आत्मनः-प्रयोगे अव्यय (adverb: oneself)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-सर्वनाम

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अभिगच्छति: approaches; has intercourse with
• अभिगच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्गः अभि-

Speaker

Narrator within the Māhātmya (deductively: a Purāṇic teacher addressing the king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Three symbolic scenes: (1) a couple violating parva-restraint under a calendar-marked moon; (2) a man breaking a causeway across sacred waters as villagers protest; (3) a household where a husband turns away while the wife, freshly bathed, stands with quiet sorrow—set against a riverbank tīrtha backdrop.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma governs both sacred-time conduct and household responsibilities; violating them is treated as spiritually harmful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is embedded in the Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya within the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It implies observance of parva-restraint and protection of public sacred works (setu), alongside proper gṛhastha-dharma.