Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

स्वसारं मातरं पुत्रवधूं गच्छन्नबीजवान् । कृतघ्नः सर्व कार्याणां वैफल्यं समुपाश्नुते

Transliteration

svasāraṃ mātaraṃ putravadhūṃ gacchannabījavān | kṛtaghnaḥ sarva kāryāṇāṃ vaiphalyaṃ samupāśnute

Translation

जो स्वतःच्या बहिणी, आई किंवा पुत्रवधूकडे जातो, तो अबीज (वीर्यहीन/निःसंतान) होतो. आणि कृतघ्न मनुष्य सर्व कार्यांत वैफल्यच भोगतो.

Word by Word

• sva-sāram: one's own sister
• sva-sāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + svasṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (स्वा ससा/स्वसारम्=स्वसृम्)

• mātaram: mother
• mātaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• putra-vadhūm: son's wife/daughter-in-law
• putra-vadhūm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक) + vadhū (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पुत्रस्य वधूः)

• gacchan: going to (having intercourse with)
• gacchan: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणभावे (going/approaching)

• abījavān: seedless/impotent
• abījavān: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-bīja-vat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (अबीजं यस्य)

• kṛta-ghnaḥ: an ungrateful person
• kṛta-ghnaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛta (कृदन्त; √kṛ/कृ) + ghna (प्रातिपदिक; √han/हन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कृतं हन्ति/उपकारं न जानाति इति)

• sarva: all
• sarva: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (कार्याणाम्)

• kāryāṇām: of actions/undertakings
• kāryāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• vaiphalyam: futility, failure
• vaiphalyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiphalya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• samupāśnute: attains/experiences
• samupāśnute: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-upa-aś (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), by section-context (Māheśvarakhaṇḍa discourse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral allegory: a family household shown with protective boundaries; a shadowy figure crossing taboo lines is followed by imagery of a withered seed/empty womb motif (infertility). Parallel scene: a benefactor helping someone, then the recipient turning away ungratefully; the ungrateful person’s endeavors collapse—broken tools, failed harvest, extinguished lamp.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma safeguards both bodily well-being and life’s prosperity; incestuous conduct and ingratitude are portrayed as root-causes of sterility and repeated failure.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is ethical instruction rather than site-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the practical prescription is moral: avoid forbidden relations and cultivate gratitude to prevent adverse karma.