Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

पर्वकाले दिवा चाप्सु वियोनौ पशुयोनिषु । रजस्वलास्वयोनौ च मैथुनं यः समाचरेत्

Transliteration

parvakāle divā cāpsu viyonau paśuyoniṣu | rajasvalāsvayonau ca maithunaṃ yaḥ samācaret

Translation

പർവകാലത്ത്, പകൽ, വെള്ളത്തിൽ, അസ്വാഭാവിക രീതിയിൽ, മൃഗങ്ങളോടോ, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ രജസ്വലായ സ്ത്രീയോടോ മൈഥുനം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ—അവന്റെ ആചാരം പാപമയവും നിന്ദ്യവും ആകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• पर्वकाले: at the time of a festival/holy day
• पर्वकाले: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (पर्वणः कालः) अधिकरणम्

• दिवा: by day
• दिवा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिवा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: by day)

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

• अप्सु: in water
• अप्सु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप् (प्रातिपदिक; जल)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; ‘अप्’ शब्दस्य सप्तमीबहुवचनम्

• वियोनौ: in an improper place (improper sexual context)
• वियोनौ: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि (उपसर्ग) + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘वियोनि’ = विपरीता/अयुक्ता योनि (improper place)

• पशुयोनिषु: with animals / in animal wombs (bestiality)
• पशुयोनिषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक) + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (पशूनां योनिः)

• रजस्वलासु: with menstruating women
• रजस्वलासु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजस्वला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; रजस्वला = menstruating woman

• अयोनौ: in an improper organ/place
• अयोनौ: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ (नञ्) + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; नञ्-समासः (अयोनि = अयुक्ता/अनुचित-योनि)

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

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

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

• समाचरेत्: should perform/practise
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + √चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष? actually तृतीयपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; ‘समाचरेत्’ = should practice/does (in injunctive sense)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Inquiring interlocutor within Kaumārikākhaṇḍa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic moral tableau: a pilgrim at a riverbank turns away from temptation; parva-day markers (moon/ritual flags) indicate forbidden time; water-body shown as sacred, not a place for transgression.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Self-restraint and purity protect spiritual merit; violating boundaries of time, place, and propriety is adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced; it is a general purity rule supporting vrata and tīrtha observance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoid prohibited maithuna, especially on sacred days and impure contexts; no positive rite is specified.