Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

आस्तां तावत्समा संगं संस्पर्शं च वरानने । संभाषमपि पापाय स्त्रीभिः पाशुपतस्य च

Transliteration

āstāṃ tāvatsamā saṃgaṃ saṃsparśaṃ ca varānane | saṃbhāṣamapi pāpāya strībhiḥ pāśupatasya ca

Translation

ವರಾನನೆ, ದೀರ್ಘ ಸಂಗವೂ ಸ್ಪರ್ಶವೂ ಇರಲಿ ಬಿಡು; ಪಾಶುಪತಾಚಾರ ಪಾಲಿಸುವವನಿಗೆ ಸ್ತ್ರೀಯರೊಂದಿಗೆ ಮಾತುಕತೆಯೂ ಪಾಪಕಾರಣವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ।

Word by Word

• āstām: let it be / enough of that
• āstām: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ās (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन; ‘आस्ताम्’ = अस्तु/भवतु (let it be)

• tāvat: for the moment / so much
• tāvat: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/सीमा-बोधक (adverb: for now/so much)

• samām: a year
• samām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• saṅgam: association
• saṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• saṃsparśam: touch
• saṃsparśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃsparśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• varānane: O fair-faced one
• varānane: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara + ānana (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—वरम् आननं यस्याः

• saṃbhāṣam: conversation
• saṃbhāṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃbhāṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि = even/also (particle)

• pāpāya: for sin / leading to sin
• pāpāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजन/फल-निर्देश (for the sake/result)

• strībhiḥ: with women
• strībhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• pāśupatasya: of a Pāśupata (votary)
• pāśupatasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāśupata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

Speaker

Unspecified (contextually a male ascetic/Viśvāmitra addressing Menakā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Contextual) sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest hermitage scene: the ascetic gestures ‘stop’ while a celestial woman stands at a respectful distance; the emphasis is on the thin line between conversation and attachment.

Characters & Entities

• Pāśupata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

For a vowed Śaiva practitioner, guarding the senses is essential; even casual speech can disturb vrata and generate pāpa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse functions as ethical instruction within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya frame; the specific tīrtha is not named in this single shloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A discipline of avoidance (niyama): refraining from association, touch, and even conversation that may break ascetic restraint.