Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5
Devanagari script
स्त्रीस्वभावं समाश्रित्य दीक्षाकालेऽपि नागता
Transliteration
strīsvabhāvaṃ samāśritya dīkṣākāle'pi nāgatā
Translation
Amparándose en el “carácter propio de una mujer” como pretexto, no acudió, ni siquiera en el tiempo de la dīkṣā (consagración).
Word by Word
स्त्रीस्वभावम्female nature
स्त्रीस्वभावम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootस्त्री (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्त्रियाः स्वभावः)
समाश्रित्यhaving resorted to
समाश्रित्य:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeVerb
Rootसम्-आ-श्रि (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया; ‘having resorted to’
दीक्षाकालेat the time of initiation
दीक्षाकाले:
Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootदीक्षा (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दीक्षायाः कालः)
अपिeven
अपि:
Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/निपातार्थ)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle); ‘even/also’
नnot
न:
Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-निपात (negation particle)
आगताcame/arrived
आगता:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootआ-गम् (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘she came/arrived’
Speaker
Sūta (narrating; likely continuing reported speech)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A consecration setting prepared with ritual vessels and priests; the expected woman does not arrive, creating a moment of anxious pause among officiants.
FAQs
Dharma emphasizes responsibility at sacred moments; rationalizations that avoid duty are shown as spiritually problematic.
The verse sits within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya narrative stream of the Nāgara Khaṇḍa.
It mentions dīkṣā (ritual consecration) as a key yajña milestone, but does not give procedural details.