Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

ऋतुकालाभिगामी यः स्वदारनिरतश्च यः । स सदा ब्रह्मचारी हि विज्ञेयः स गृहाश्रमी

Transliteration

ṛtukālābhigāmī yaḥ svadāranirataśca yaḥ | sa sadā brahmacārī hi vijñeyaḥ sa gṛhāśramī

Translation

ഋതുകാലത്ത് മാത്രം ഭാര്യയെ സമീപിക്കുകയും സ്വന്തം ഭാര്യയിൽ മാത്രം താല്പര്യമുള്ളവനുമായ ഗൃഹസ്ഥനെ എപ്പോഴും ബ്രഹ്മചാരിയായിത്തന്നെ കണക്കാക്കണം.

Word by Word

• ऋतुकालाभिगामी: one who approaches (his wife) at the proper season
• ऋतुकालाभिगामी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋतु + काल + अभि+गम् (धातु) + णिनि (कृत्) → अभिगामिन्/अभिगामी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (ऋतुकाले अभिगामी) विशेषणम्

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

• स्वदारनिरतः: devoted to his own wife
• स्वदारनिरतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व + दार + निरत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (स्वेषु दारेषु निरतः) विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Conjunction
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; पुनरुक्त सम्बन्धसूचक

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-Visheshana (Time/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• ब्रह्मचारी: a brahmacārī (celibate/student)
• ब्रह्मचारी: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म + चारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मणि/वेदे चरति)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थक

• विज्ञेयः: should be known/recognized
• विज्ञेयः: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि+ज्ञा (धातु) + य (कृत्) → विज्ञेय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-योग्यतावाचक (gerundive)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गृहाश्रमी: a householder (gṛhastha)
• गृहाश्रमी: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह + आश्रमिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गृह-आश्रमः यस्य/गृहाश्रमे स्थितः)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced, Brāhma Khaṇḍa dharma-narration context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder with calm, ascetic-like aura—simple clothing, japa-mālā, household shrine—standing beside his wife with mutual respect; a subtle halo suggests ‘ever-brahmacārī’ purity within domestic life.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True brahmacarya is defined by disciplined, dharmic living—even within marriage—through fidelity and restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised; the verse is an ethical definition within gṛhastha-dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The rule is ṛtukāla-niyama (proper timing) and svadāra-niyama (exclusive devotion to one’s spouse).