Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

अपि वर्षशतं साग्रं यत्तपः कुरुते व्रती । सकृत्स्त्रीसंगमान्नाशं याति पाशुपतस्य च

Transliteration

api varṣaśataṃ sāgraṃ yattapaḥ kurute vratī | sakṛtstrīsaṃgamānnāśaṃ yāti pāśupatasya ca

Translation

Even if a vowed ascetic performs austerities for a full hundred years and more, by a single act of union with a woman he comes to ruin—even in the Pāśupata path.

Word by Word

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अपि = ‘even/also’

• वर्षशतम्: a hundred years
• वर्षशतम्: Kala-Avadhi (Duration/कालावधि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष-शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (शतं वर्षाणि)

• साग्रम्: and more (over and above)
• साग्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वर्षशतम्); तत्पुरुषः (अग्रेण सहितम् = ‘and more’)

• यत्: which/that (tapas)
• यत्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; ‘that which’ (correlative)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; यत् इत्यस्य विशेष्य/सम्बन्ध

• कुरुते: does, performs
• कुरुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• व्रती: a vow-keeper
• व्रती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रतिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, संख्यावाचक-कालवाचक (once)

• स्त्रीसंगमात्: from/through union with a woman
• स्त्रीसंगमात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री-संगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (स्त्रियाः संगमः)

• नाशम्: destruction, loss
• नाशम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• याति: goes to, meets with
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पाशुपतस्य: of the Pāśupata (discipline)
• पाशुपतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाशुपत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; ‘of the Pāśupata (vow/discipline)’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

Speaker

Tāpasa (ascetic)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: the woman

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark didactic moment: the ascetic’s words evoke the image of a towering pile of tapas collapsing; the woman appears alarmed; a shadowy suggestion of ‘ruin’ contrasts with the ascetic’s luminous restraint.

Characters & Entities

• Pāśupata
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual practice is safeguarded by integrity; a single deliberate breach of vow can nullify long austerities, especially in strict Śaiva disciplines.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha setting is implicit from the chapter, but the verse itself focuses on vow-dharma rather than naming a location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A clear prescription of conduct: maintain brahmacarya; avoid strīsaṅgama for those observing Pāśupata/Śaiva vows.