Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

ऋतावृतौ हि नारीणां सेवनाज्जायते सुतः । सुतात्स्वर्गश्च मोक्षश्च इत्येवं श्रुतिभाषितम्

Transliteration

ṛtāvṛtau hi nārīṇāṃ sevanājjāyate sutaḥ | sutātsvargaśca mokṣaśca ityevaṃ śrutibhāṣitam

Translation

Car, au temps de la fécondité, de l’union avec la femme naît un fils; et du fils viennent le ciel et même la délivrance : ainsi l’enseigne la Śruti.

Word by Word

• ऋतौ: in the season (menses)
• ऋतौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative of time)

• अृतौ: in the (proper) season
• अृतौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative of time)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ

• नारीणाम्: of women
• नारीणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• सेवनात्: from intercourse/service
• सेवनात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/अपादान-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेवन (प्रातिपदिक; √सेव् (धातु) + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; हेतौ/अपादानार्थ (ablative of cause)

• जायते: is born/arises
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोग (intransitive ‘is born’)

• सुतः: a son
• सुतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक; √सू (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृ/विषय (subject)

• सुतात्: from a son
• सुतात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; हेतौ/अपादान (ablative ‘from’)

• स्वर्गः: heaven
• स्वर्गः: Karta/Pratijna (Co-ordinate/समुच्चय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समुच्चित विषय (co-ordinate subject)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• मोक्षः: liberation
• मोक्षः: Karta/Pratijna (Co-ordinate/समुच्चय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समुच्चित विषय

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• इति: thus
• इति: Quotation marker (इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• एवम्: in this manner
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• श्रुतिभाषितम्: declared by the Veda (śruti)
• श्रुतिभाषितम्: Visheshana (Predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रुति + भाषित (प्रातिपदिक; √भाष् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-तत्पुरुषभाव: ‘श्रुत्या भाषितम्’; विधेयविशेषण (predicate adjective)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene: a sage instructs householders on ṛtu-dharma beside the flowing Revā; a couple stands respectfully, with a cradle symbolizing putra and a śruti manuscript indicating scriptural authority.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Śruti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It presents progeny within gṛhastha dharma as linked to ancestral continuity and religious merit, citing Śruti authority.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse; it supports the broader Somnātha narrative in Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It implies ṛtu-kāla conduct (timely marital union) as a dharmic observance; no separate pilgrimage rite is stated.