Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

परदारपरित्यागात्स्वदारपरितुष्टितः । ऋतुकालाभिगामित्वाद्ब्रह्मचारी गृहीरितः

Transliteration

paradāraparityāgātsvadāraparituṣṭitaḥ | ṛtukālābhigāmitvādbrahmacārī gṛhīritaḥ

Translation

जो परस्त्रीचा त्याग करतो, स्वस्त्रीतच संतुष्ट राहतो आणि केवळ ऋतुकाळातच तिच्याजवळ जातो—तो गृहस्थही ‘ब्रह्मचारी’ म्हणतात.

Word by Word

• परदारपरित्यागात्: from renouncing others’ wives
• परदारपरित्यागात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर-दार + परि-त्याग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; परस्य दाराः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष + परित्यागः; हेतौ (from abandoning others’ wives)

• स्वदारपरितुष्टितः: from being content with one’s own wife
• स्वदारपरितुष्टितः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व-दार + परि-तुष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग ‘परितुष्टि’ शब्दः, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; स्वस्य दाराः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; हेतौ (from contentment with one’s own wife)

• ऋतुकालाभिगामित्वात्: from approaching (the wife) only at the proper season
• ऋतुकालाभिगामित्वात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋतु-काल + अभि-गामि + त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; ‘अभिगामित्व’ = अभिगमनशीलता; ऋतुकाले अभिगामित्वम् इति तत्पुरुष; हेतौ (from approaching only in the fertile period)

• ब्रह्मचारी: a brahmacārin (celibate student)
• ब्रह्मचारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचरिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेष्य (as a designation)

• गृही: a householder
• गृही: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ईरितः: is declared/called
• ईरितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईर् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय; past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि—‘उक्तः/कथितः’ (is said/called)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dignified householder couple stands before a Śiva shrine in Kāśī; the man turns away from temptations depicted as passing figures, holding a vow-string; a calendar-like symbol marks ṛtu-kāla regulation.

Characters & Entities

• Gṛhastha
• Brahmacarya
• Dāra (spouse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Brahmacarya can mean disciplined fidelity and restraint—especially for householders—rather than mere abstinence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; it is a dharma teaching within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A behavioral prescription: avoid another’s spouse, be content with one’s own, and practice restraint by proper timing (ṛtukāla).