Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 92

Devanagari script

नारीषु त्वनुभूतासु सर्वदोषाश्रयासु च । विण्मुत्रोत्सर्गसदृशं सौख्यं मैथुनजं स्मृतम्

Transliteration

nārīṣu tvanubhūtāsu sarvadoṣāśrayāsu ca | viṇmutrotsargasadṛśaṃ saukhyaṃ maithunajaṃ smṛtam

Translation

स्त्रियांमध्ये आसक्त होऊन, त्यांना सर्वदोषांचे आश्रयस्थान जाणल्यावर, मैथुनजन्य सुख हे विष्ठा-मूत्रोत्सर्गाने मिळणाऱ्या क्षणिक आरामासारखे मानले आहे।

Word by Word

• nārīṣu: in/with women
• nārīṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन — Locative plural

• tu: but
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrastive particle)

• anubhūtāsu: experienced/enjoyed
• anubhūtāsu: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anubhūta (अनुभूत, कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन — Past passive participle (क्त) from √bhū with anu-; agrees with ‘nārīṣu’

• sarva-doṣa-āśrayāsu: in those that are the abode of all faults
• sarva-doṣa-āśrayāsu: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + doṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + āśraya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन — Locative plural; समासः सर्वदोष (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष: ‘सर्वे दोषाः’) + आश्रय (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘दोषाणाम् आश्रयः’)

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

• viṇ-mūtra-utsarga-sadṛśam: similar to the discharge of feces and urine
• viṇ-mūtra-utsarga-sadṛśam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viṇ (विण्/विट्, प्रातिपदिक) + mūtra (प्रातिपदिक) + utsarga (प्रातिपदिक) + sadṛśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — N/Acc sg; समासः विण्मूत्र (द्वन्द्व) + उत्सर्ग (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘विण्मूत्रयोः उत्सर्गः’) + सदृश (तत्पुरुष: ‘उत्सर्गसदृशम्’)

• saukhyam: pleasure
• saukhyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saukhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — N/Acc sg

• maithunajam: born of sexual intercourse
• maithunajam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: maithuna (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — N/Acc sg; समासः मैथुनात् जातम् (पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद)

• smṛtam: is regarded (as)
• smṛtam: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √smṛ (स्मृ)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘is considered/remembered’ (impersonal passive sense)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An allegorical depiction: a couple in embrace fades into a stark image of bodily functions (symbolic, not explicit), while a calm yogi contemplates a skull/ash to signify asubha-bhāvanā; the message is disenchantment, not insult.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sensual pleasure is portrayed as brief relief rather than true bliss; the verse urges turning away from kāma toward enduring spiritual good.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is glorified in this verse; it is an ascetic-leaning reflection within the discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it provides a value-judgment intended to cultivate dispassion.