Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5
Devanagari script
स्त्रीस्वभावं समाश्रित्य दीक्षाकालेऽपि नागता
Transliteration
strīsvabhāvaṃ samāśritya dīkṣākāle'pi nāgatā
Translation
Se retranchant derrière le « naturel d’une femme » comme prétexte, elle ne vint pas, pas même au moment de la dīkṣā (consécration).
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.