Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

ऋतौ स्वदारगमनं गेहिनां ब्रह्मचर्यता । यतीनां सर्वसंन्यासो मनोवाक्कायकर्मणा

Transliteration

ṛtau svadāragamanaṃ gehināṃ brahmacaryatā | yatīnāṃ sarvasaṃnyāso manovākkāyakarmaṇā

Translation

ഗൃഹസ്ഥർക്കു ഋതുകാലത്ത് സ്വന്തം ധർമ്മപത്നിയോടുള്ള സംഗമം പോലും ബ്രഹ്മചര്യമായി കണക്കാക്കപ്പെടുന്നു; എന്നാൽ യതികൾക്ക് മനസ്സ്, വാക്ക്, കായകർമ്മം എന്നിവയാൽ സമ്പൂർണ്ണ സന്ന്യാസം തന്നെയാണ് ആചരിക്കേണ്ടത്।

Word by Word

• ṛtau: in the proper season
• ṛtau: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛtu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन — Locative singular; ‘in the season/period’

• sva-dāra-gamanam: going to one’s own wife
• sva-dāra-gamanam: Karma/Predicate-noun (कर्म/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + dāra (प्रातिपदिक) + gamana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — Nom./Acc. singular; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘स्वस्य दारान् प्रति गमनम्’)

• gehinām: of householders
• gehinām: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gehin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन — Genitive plural; ‘of householders’

• brahmacaryatā: (is) continence
• brahmacaryatā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmacarya (प्रातिपदिक) + tā (प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन — Nominative singular; भाववाचक-तद्धित (‘-tā’)

• yatīnām: of ascetics
• yatīnām: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन — Genitive plural; ‘of ascetics’

• sarva-saṃnyāsaḥ: complete renunciation
• sarva-saṃnyāsaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃnyāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन — Nominative singular; कर्मधारयः (‘सर्वः संन्यासः’)

• manasā: by mind
• manasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular; ‘by mind’

• vācā: by speech
• vācā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāc (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular; ‘by speech’

• kāyena: by body
• kāyena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular; ‘by body’

• karmaṇā: by action
• karmaṇā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular; ‘by action/deed’

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A disciple/ṛṣi interlocutor (contextual student of dharma)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A split tableau: on one side a modest householder couple with ritual calendar marks indicating proper season; on the other a saffron-clad ascetic seated in meditation, with three symbolic streams (mind, speech, body) purified.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma adapts to āśrama: householders practice regulated continence; ascetics practice complete renunciation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is specified; the verse is normative instruction on āśrama-dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A discipline is prescribed: regulated marital conduct for householders and total saṃnyāsa for ascetics.