Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

स्त्रीशूद्राणां तदर्धं च तदर्ध बालवृद्धयोः । मृन्मयानां च भांडानां परित्यागो निवेदितः

Transliteration

strīśūdrāṇāṃ tadardhaṃ ca tadardha bālavṛddhayoḥ | mṛnmayānāṃ ca bhāṃḍānāṃ parityāgo niveditaḥ

Translation

女人とシュードラにはその贖罪の半分が定められ、さらにその半分が子どもと老者のために説かれた。また土器の器を捨てることも命じられた。

Word by Word

• स्त्रीशूद्राणाम्: of women and Śūdras
• स्त्रीशूद्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री-शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (समाहार/समुदायार्थे), षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वः (स्त्रियश्च शूद्राश्च)

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• अर्धम्: half
• अर्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• अर्धम्: half
• अर्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक

• बालवृद्धयोः: of/for the child and the aged
• बालवृद्धयोः: Sambandha (Genitive/Locative relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल-वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी (6/7), द्विवचन; द्वन्द्वः (बालश्च वृद्धश्च)

• मृन्मयानाम्: of earthen (clay-made)
• मृन्मयानाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृद्-मय (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मृदा मयम् = made of clay)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• भाण्डानाम्: of vessels/utensils
• भाण्डानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

• परित्यागः: abandonment/discarding
• परित्यागः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परि-त्याग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• निवेदितः: has been stated
• निवेदितः: Karma (Predicative/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-विद्/वेद् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘reported/declared’

Speaker

Unspecified narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A household scene: elders advise that women and śūdras undertake half-penance; children and the aged are shown resting; attendants carry away cracked earthen pots to be discarded outside the settlement.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma applies with discernment: austerities are adjusted according to capacity and vulnerability, while maintaining the aim of purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya; it addresses purification practice rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Reduced (fractional) penances for women/śūdras and further reduction for children/elderly, plus discarding earthen utensils.