Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

द्वादशे दशमे वर्षे नारी गर्भवती भवेत् । कन्यास्तत्र प्रसूयन्ते ब्राह्मणो हरिपिङ्गलः

Transliteration

dvādaśe daśame varṣe nārī garbhavatī bhavet | kanyāstatra prasūyante brāhmaṇo haripiṅgalaḥ

Translation

十二歳、あるいは十歳にして、少女は身ごもるであろう。そこでは少女たちが産む。—これはバラモン、ハリピンガラの言である。

Word by Word

• द्वादशे: in the twelfth
• द्वादशे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण (वर्षे इति विशेष्यस्य)

• दशमे: in the tenth
• दशमे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (वर्षे इति विशेष्यस्य)

• वर्षे: in the year (of age)
• वर्षे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• नारी: a woman
• नारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गर्भवती: pregnant
• गर्भवती: Karta (Qualifier of subject/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गर्भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (नारी इति विशेष्यस्य)

• भवेत्: would become/may become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• कन्याः: girls/daughters
• कन्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• प्रसूयन्ते: are born/are delivered
• प्रसूयन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + सू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हरिपिङ्गलः: Haripiṅgala (name)
• हरिपिङ्गलः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि + पिङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (हरि-इव पिङ्गलः)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual attribution; Haripiṅgala is cited within the verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha-field (general)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (implied by prior vocative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A village scene showing disrupted life-stages: children burdened with adult consequences; elders distressed; a sage (Haripiṅgala) speaking solemnly to a royal listener.

Characters & Entities

• Haripiṅgala (brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It depicts Kali-yuga as an age of disturbed social norms, urging communities to protect dharma through restraint and right conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse lists societal symptoms rather than a pilgrimage praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive prophecy, not a ritual instruction.