Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

ऋतु स्नातां तु यो भार्यां संनिधौ नोपगच्छति । घोरायां भ्रूणहत्यायां युज्यते नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

ṛtu snātāṃ tu yo bhāryāṃ saṃnidhau nopagacchati | ghorāyāṃ bhrūṇahatyāyāṃ yujyate nātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

«Pero quien no se acerca a su esposa, ya bañada y dispuesta en la estación del ṛtu, aun teniéndola cerca, incurre en el terrible pecado de feticidio; de ello no hay duda.»

Word by Word

• ṛtu: the season (fertile time)
• ṛtu: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛtu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; here used adverbially ‘at the season’

• snātām: bathed
• snātām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: snāta (प्रातिपदिक; √snā धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘bathed’ (qualifying bhāryām)

• tu: but / indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrast/emphasis)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yat (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; relative pronoun

• bhāryām: wife
• bhāryām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāryā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• saṃnidhau: in the presence (of her)
• saṃnidhau: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃnidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; ‘in the presence/nearby’

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• upagacchati: approaches (sexually)
• upagacchati: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-gam (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ghorāyām: terrible
• ghorāyām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghorā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying bhrūṇahatyāyām)

• bhrūṇa-hatyāyām: in (the sin of) foetus-killing
• bhrūṇa-hatyāyām: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhrūṇa-hatyā (प्रातिपदिक: भ्रूण + हत्या)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: भ्रूणस्य हत्या

• yujyate: is subjected / is deemed liable
• yujyate: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yuj (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग: ‘is yoked/assigned (to)’

• na: no / not
• na: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• atra: here / in this matter
• atra: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• saṃśayaḥ: doubt
• saṃśayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

Speaker

Dakṣa (addressing Chandra/Soma)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dakṣa pronounces a severe śāstric consequence; the Moon appears unsettled, the atmosphere heavy with the weight of ‘ghora pāpa’.

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣa
• Chandra/Soma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Neglect of rightful household duty is portrayed as spiritually grave; dharma is upheld through responsible conduct, not mere status.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it is a dharmaśāstric warning embedded in the Tīrthamāhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references the ṛtu-related readiness (ṛtu-snātā) and the expectation of conjugal approach as a dharmic rule.