Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

ऋतुकालाभिगामी यः स्वदारनिरतश्च यः । स सदा ब्रह्मचारी च विज्ञेयः सद्गृहाश्रमी

Transliteration

ṛtukālābhigāmī yaḥ svadāranirataśca yaḥ | sa sadā brahmacārī ca vijñeyaḥ sadgṛhāśramī

Translation

ഋതുകാലത്തിൽ മാത്രം ഭാര്യയെ സമീപിക്കുകയും സ്വന്തം ധർമ്മപത്നിയിലേയ്ക്ക് തന്നെ നിബദ്ധനായി ഇരിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ നിത്യബ്രഹ്മചാരിയെന്നപോലെ; സത്യഗൃഹാശ്രമിയെന്നു അറിയപ്പെടണം.

Word by Word

• ऋतुकालाभिगामी: one who approaches only in the proper season
• ऋतुकालाभिगामी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋतु (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक) + अभि√गम् (धातु) → अभिगामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (ऋतुकाले अभिगामी)

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

• स्वदारनिरतः: devoted to his own wife
• स्वदारनिरतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + दार (प्रातिपदिक) + निरत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वदारेषु निरतः)

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

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

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; निर्देशक (correlative pronoun)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: always)

• ब्रह्मचारी: a celibate/one observing brahmacarya
• ब्रह्मचारी: Pradhana (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म (प्रातिपदिक) + चारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मणि/ब्रह्मचर्ये चारि)

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

• विज्ञेयः: should be known (as)
• विज्ञेयः: Kriya (Predicative injunction/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि√ज्ञा (धातु) → विज्ञेय (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-कर्तव्यता (gerundive: should be known/considered)

• सद्गृहाश्रमी: a true householder
• सद्गृहाश्रमी: Pradhana (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + गृह (प्रातिपदिक) + आश्रमिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भावः (सद्-गृहाश्रमी = उत्तमः गृहाश्रमी)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devoted couple in a Kāśī household setting, with the husband holding japa-mālā and scriptures, indicating restraint and fidelity; a small Śiva-liṅga shrine in the home.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True household life includes brahmacarya as disciplined restraint—continence within marriage is praised as spiritually equivalent to celibate purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa context is Kāśī, but this verse is ethical instruction rather than tīrtha praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Maintain ṛtukāla discipline and fidelity to one’s own spouse as the rule of conduct.