Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 98

Devanagari script

वनस्पतिगते सोमे मैथुनं यो निषेवते । ब्रह्महत्यासमं पापं लभते नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

vanaspatigate some maithunaṃ yo niṣevate | brahmahatyāsamaṃ pāpaṃ labhate nātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

ಸೋಮನು ವನಸ್ಪತಿಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ಥಿತನಾಗಿರುವಾಗ ಯಾರು ಮೈಥುನವನ್ನು ಆಚರಿಸುತ್ತಾರೋ, ಅವರು ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಹತ್ಯಾಸಮಾನ ಪಾಪವನ್ನು ಪಡೆಯುತ್ತಾರೆ—ಇದರಲ್ಲಿ ಸಂಶಯವಿಲ್ಲ.

Word by Word

• वनस्पतिगते: when (it is) in the trees
• वनस्पतिगते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वनस्पति + गत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—वनस्पति-गत (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः)

• सोमे: in Soma (the Moon)
• सोमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• मैथुनम्: sexual intercourse
• मैथुनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैथुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• निषेवते: engages in, practices
• निषेवते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; धातुः—सेव्, उपसर्गः—नि

• ब्रह्महत्यासमम्: equal to brahma-murder
• ब्रह्महत्यासमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—ब्रह्महत्या-सम (कर्मधारयः: ब्रह्महत्यायाः समम्)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

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

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Desha-Adhikarana (Locative adverb/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed directly)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim couple at a forest hermitage by the river, choosing restraint: they sit apart in prayer under moonlit trees glowing with Soma; a symbolic scale shows the weight of brahma-hatyā as a warning against vow-breaking.

Characters & Entities

• Soma
• Brahmahatyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain times are framed as requiring heightened restraint; self-control is treated as protection of dharma and cosmic harmony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a site-specific praise; it is a vrata-style injunction within the Revā-khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A strict niyama (prohibition) against maithuna during the specified Soma/vegetation period.