Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

भगिन्या सुतपस्विन्या स्नानार्थं न च काम्यया । तद्रेतो जलमिश्रं तु भगमध्ये विनिर्गतम्

Transliteration

bhaginyā sutapasvinyā snānārthaṃ na ca kāmyayā | tadreto jalamiśraṃ tu bhagamadhye vinirgatam

Translation

Par la sœur, d'une austérité excellente, cela fut fait pour le bain et non par désir. Cette semence, mêlée à l'eau, pénétra alors en son sein.

Word by Word

• भगिन्या: by the sister
• भगिन्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• सुतपस्विन्या: by the very-ascetic (woman)
• सुतपस्विन्या: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + तपस्विनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम्; समास: सु + तपस्विनी

• स्नानार्थम्: for bathing
• स्नानार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); प्रयोजनार्थे (for the purpose); समास: स्नानस्य अर्थः

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunctive particle)

• काम्यया: with desire/being desirous
• काम्यया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifying an implied feminine agent)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम्

• रेतः: semen
• रेतः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• जलमिश्रम्: mixed with water
• जलमिश्रम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जल + मिश्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम्; समास: जलेन मिश्रम्/जलमिश्रं

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• भगमध्ये: in the vulva/within the genital region
• भगमध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भग + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); अधिकरणम्; समास: भगस्य मध्ये

• विनिर्गतम्: having come out/emerged
• विनिर्गतम्: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate participle)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + निर् + गम् (धातु) → विनिर्गत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past active participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bathing scene rendered with chastity: a woman of tapas prepares water for snāna; the narrative emphasizes ritual context and unintended consequence, with water as the key symbol.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• bhaginī (sister)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Intention matters in dharma: an act done without kāma is framed differently from one driven by desire.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Only snāna (bathing) is referenced as context, not as a formal prescription here.