Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 107

Devanagari script

स्तनाभ्यां तव हस्ताभ्यां स्पर्शात्क्षीरं भवेद्यदि । तत्ते शुद्धिः परिज्ञेया रक्तं वा न भविष्यति

Transliteration

stanābhyāṃ tava hastābhyāṃ sparśātkṣīraṃ bhavedyadi | tatte śuddhiḥ parijñeyā raktaṃ vā na bhaviṣyati

Translation

Si, par le contact de tes mains sur ses seins, du lait venait à couler, alors ta pureté sera reconnue; et le sang n’apparaîtra pas.

Word by Word

• स्तनाभ्याम्: by (the) breasts
• स्तनाभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), द्विवचन; Instrumental dual

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; Genitive singular (2nd person pronoun)

• हस्ताभ्याम्: by (the) hands
• हस्ताभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), द्विवचन; Instrumental dual

• स्पर्शात्: from/through the touch
• स्पर्शात्: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान), एकवचन; Ablative singular

• क्षीरम्: milk
• क्षीरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Nominative/Accusative singular

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 3rd person singular

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Clause connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Nominative/Accusative singular

• ते: for you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; Dative singular (enclitic)

• शुद्धिः: purification
• शुद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• परिज्ञेया: is to be understood/known
• परिज्ञेया: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + ज्ञा (धातु) → परिज्ञेय (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (यत्) कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; gerundive/passive participle ‘to be known’

• रक्तम्: blood
• रक्तम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Nominative/Accusative singular

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• भविष्यति: will be/become
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 3rd person singular

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis at Naimiṣāraṇya (standard frame; not explicit in excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tense, intimate yet ritualized moment: a maiden stands modestly while an elder frames a purity-test—milk as auspicious sign, blood as inauspicious—amid onlookers in a pilgrimage setting.

Characters & Entities

• Bhartṛyajña
• Parāvasu
• Kanyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity is defined by intention and restraint; dharma insists that even a test must reveal inner motive, not excuse desire.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is within Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya, but this line does not specify the tīrtha by name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A sign-based verification is described (milk flow indicating śuddhi), functioning as a narrative ‘proof’ rather than a pilgrimage ritual.