Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

सर्वेषां व्रतिनां मूलं ब्रह्मचर्यमुदाहृतम् । विशेषाच्छिवभक्तानामेवं भूयो विधास्यसि

Transliteration

sarveṣāṃ vratināṃ mūlaṃ brahmacaryamudāhṛtam | viśeṣācchivabhaktānāmevaṃ bhūyo vidhāsyasi

Translation

Brahmacarya is declared to be the root of all vows—especially for devotees of Śiva. Therefore do not act in this way again.

Word by Word

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘of all’

• व्रतिनाम्: of vow-keepers
• व्रतिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रतिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन

• मूलम्: the root, foundation
• मूलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मचर्यम्: celibacy
• ब्रह्मचर्यम्: Samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; ‘मूलम्’ इत्यस्य समाना-अधिकरणम्

• उदाहृतम्: is declared/said
• उदाहृतम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-आ-√हृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्यय; past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘is declared’

• विशेषात्: especially
• विशेषात्: Vishesha (Specification)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोगः (पञ्चमी-अर्थे), ‘especially’

• शिवभक्तानाम्: of Śiva’s devotees
• शिवभक्तानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव-भक्त (प्रातिपदिक; भक्त = कृदन्त from √भज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य भक्ताः)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb)

• भूयः: again, further
• भूयः: Kala (Repetition/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस्/भूयः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, पुनरर्थक (again/further)

• विधास्यसि: you will do/ordain
• विधास्यसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-धा (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Tāpasa (ascetic)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: the woman

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The ascetic delivers a concise teaching like a guru; the woman appears chastened; the forest āśrama becomes a didactic stage, with Śiva symbols subtly present.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Brahmacarya is presented as the foundation of vrata-life, with heightened importance for Śaiva devotees who seek purity and spiritual power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is within a tīrtha-mahātmya chapter but does not identify the tīrtha by name in this excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is ethical-ascetic: maintain brahmacarya as the basis of vows, particularly in Śaiva observance.