Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

तदन्ते च महाभागे गर्भाधानं द्वितीयकम् । पुंसवनं तृतीयं तु सीमन्तं च चतुर्थकम्

Transliteration

tadante ca mahābhāge garbhādhānaṃ dvitīyakam | puṃsavanaṃ tṛtīyaṃ tu sīmantaṃ ca caturthakam

Translation

അതിന് ശേഷം, ഹേ മഹാഭാഗേ! രണ്ടാമത്തേത് ‘ഗർഭാധാനം’; മൂന്നാമത്തേത് ‘പുംസവനം’; നാലാമത്തേത് ‘സീമന്തം’ സംസ്കാരം.

Word by Word

• तदन्ते: at the end of that/thereafter
• तदन्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तदन्त (प्रातिपदिक; तद्+अन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (तस्य अन्ते = at its end)

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

• महाभागे: O fortunate one
• महाभागे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभागा (प्रातिपदिक; महा+भागा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय

• गर्भाधानम्: conception rite (garbhādhāna)
• गर्भाधानम्: Karma/Predicative (विधेय/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भाधान (प्रातिपदिक; गर्भ+आधान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गर्भस्य आधानम्)

• द्वितीयकम्: second
• द्वितीयकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीयक (प्रातिपदिक; द्वितीय+क)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक (second)

• पुंसवनम्: puṃsavana rite
• पुंसवनम्: Karma/Predicative (विधेय/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंसवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तृतीयम्: third
• तृतीयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृतीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक (third)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; विशेष/विरोधार्थक

• सीमन्तम्: sīmanta rite
• सीमन्तम्: Karma/Predicative (विधेय/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सीमन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• चतुर्थकम्: fourth
• चतुर्थकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्थक (प्रातिपदिक; चतुर्थ+क)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक (fourth)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Same addressed listener in sequence

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequential, almost diagrammatic depiction: the rishi enumerates ‘second, third, fourth’ rites; symbolic icons for each—womb-protection (garbhādhāna), blessing for progeny (puṃsavana), hair-parting rite (sīmanta) with a pregnant woman seated respectfully.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Garbhādhāna
• Puṃsavana
• Sīmanta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Life’s stages are sanctified through ordered rites, aligning family life with dharma and spiritual intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific holy site is named in this verse; it is a saṃskāra enumeration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It lists the sequence of prenatal saṃskāras: Garbhādhāna, Puṃsavana, and Sīmanta.