Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

तत्कालोचितधर्मेण ये न सेवन्ति तां नराः । तेषां ब्रह्मघ्नजं पापं जायते नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

tatkālocitadharmeṇa ye na sevanti tāṃ narāḥ | teṣāṃ brahmaghnajaṃ pāpaṃ jāyate nātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

Those men who, against the dharma appropriate to that time, do not approach her—upon them arises sin akin to brahma-slaying (brahmahatyā); of this there is no doubt.

Word by Word

• तत्कालोचितधर्मेण: by the duty appropriate to that time
• तत्कालोचितधर्मेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् + काल + उचित + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-समासः (तस्मिन् काले उचितः धर्मः) तत्पुरुष-प्रधान

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• सेवन्ति: serve/consort
• सेवन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ताम्: her (the wife)
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नराः: men
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ब्रह्मघ्नजम्: born of brahma-slaying (equivalent sin)
• ब्रह्मघ्नजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मघ्न + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मघ्नस्य जन्यं)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जायते: arises
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• अत्र: here, in this matter
• अत्र: Desha-adhikarana (Locative adverb/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator of Revā Khaṇḍa (deduced; explicit speaker not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-mahātmya (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata/Naroत्तम

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage’s warning peaks: a moral thunderclap—neglect at the proper time generates sin comparable to brahma-slaughter; the listener appears shaken, the atmosphere charged.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Neglect of a prescribed household duty is portrayed as spiritually dangerous, generating severe demerit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named in this verse; it belongs to the Revā Khaṇḍa’s broader Narmadā-centered sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An ethical prescription: follow the ‘time-appropriate dharma’ (tatkālocita-dharma) regarding ṛtukāla.