Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

कौमारब्रह्मचर्य्येण भविष्यत्यन्वयः कथम् । एतन्मे विस्तरात्सर्वं यथावद्वक्तुमर्हसि

Transliteration

kaumārabrahmacaryyeṇa bhaviṣyatyanvayaḥ katham | etanme vistarātsarvaṃ yathāvadvaktumarhasi

Translation

«Si l’on observe le brahmacarya depuis l’enfance, comment pourrait-il y avoir une lignée (descendance) ? Daigne m’expliquer tout cela en détail et avec justesse.»

Word by Word

• कौमार-ब्रह्मचर्येण: by (means of) maidenly celibacy
• कौमार-ब्रह्मचर्येण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौमार (प्रातिपदिक) + ब्रह्मचर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कौमारं ब्रह्मचर्यम्)

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

• अन्वयः: lineage/continuity
• अन्वयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (Gen./Dat.), एकवचन; अत्र चतुर्थी-अर्थे (to me)

• विस्तरात्: in detail
• विस्तरात्: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; 'in detail/at length' (अव्ययीभावार्थे)

• सर्वम्: all (of it)
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; एतत् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• यथावत्: properly, as it should be
• यथावत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• वक्तुम्: to tell
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive), 'to speak'

• अर्हसि: you ought/are able
• अर्हसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Unspecified (a questioner in the dialogue; context implies a listener addressing Bhagavān/Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pādukā-sambhava (as implied)

Type: cave

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhagavān (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A maiden respectfully questions the Lord: if lifelong celibacy is kept from childhood, how can descendants arise? The scene is contemplative, with the Pādukā shrine hinted in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmacarya
• Anvaya (lineage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is subtle: vows like brahmacarya and worldly continuity must be understood through proper scriptural explanation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya within Nāgara Khaṇḍa, focusing on Śrīmātuḥ Pādukā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it introduces a doctrinal question that leads into the site’s vow-and-merit teaching.