Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

वानप्रस्थव्रते तिष्ठन्सकृन्मैथुनतत्परः । क्षेत्रजैस्तनयैर्वंशे कुरोस्तस्मादुपस्थिते

Transliteration

vānaprasthavrate tiṣṭhansakṛnmaithunatatparaḥ | kṣetrajaistanayairvaṃśe kurostasmādupasthite

Translation

വാനപ്രസ്ഥവ്രതത്തിൽ നിലകൊണ്ട് അദ്ദേഹം ഒരിക്കൽ മാത്രമേ സംഗമത്തിൽ ഏർപ്പെട്ടുള്ളൂ; ക్షേത്രജ പുത്രന്മാർ മുഖേന അതിനാൽ കുരുവംശം പതനത്തിൽ നിന്ന് വീണ്ടും ഉയർന്നു।

Word by Word

• वानप्रस्थव्रते: in the vow of the forest-dweller (vānaprastha)
• वानप्रस्थव्रते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वानप्रस्थ-व्रत (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; वानप्रस्थस्य व्रतम् इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; Locative of sphere (अधिकरण)

• तिष्ठन्: standing, remaining
• तिष्ठन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्तः (शतृ/Present active participle), परस्मैपदी; प्रथमा एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; ‘standing/remaining’

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• मैथुनतत्परः: intent on sexual union
• मैथुनतत्परः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मैथुन-तत्पर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘मैथुने तत्परः’ इति सप्तमी/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः; विशेषणम्

• क्षेत्रजैः: by kṣetraja (field-born)
• क्षेत्रजैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षेत्रज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; ‘field-born/obtained through kṣetra’ (sons)

• तनयैः: by sons
• तनयैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• वंशे: in the lineage
• वंशे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; Locative (अधिकरण)

• कुरोः: of Kuru
• कुरोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; Genitive (सम्बन्ध)

• तस्मात्: from him/thereafter
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; Ablative (अपादान)

• उपस्थिते: when it had occurred / having come to pass
• उपस्थिते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-स्था (धातु)
• Form: भूतकाले कृदन्तः (क्त/PPP), प्रथमा/सप्तमी एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; ‘having occurred/being present’; here: ‘when (it) had come about’ (locative absolute sense)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An austere vānaprastha figure in forest hermitage, with minimal household signs, contemplating lineage duty; symbolic depiction of the Kuru banner/lineage tree being restored through a single sanctioned act.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Kuru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Discipline and restraint can coexist with duty; dharma is fulfilled with minimal indulgence and maximum purpose.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied is the disciplined observance of vānaprastha-vrata; no explicit tīrtha-ritual (snāna, dāna, japa) is stated.