Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

वंध्या वै वृषली प्रोक्ता वृषली च मृतप्रजा । अपरा वृषली प्रोक्ता कुमारी या रजस्वला

Transliteration

vaṃdhyā vai vṛṣalī proktā vṛṣalī ca mṛtaprajā | aparā vṛṣalī proktā kumārī yā rajasvalā

Translation

ବନ୍ଧ୍ୟା ସ୍ତ୍ରୀକୁ ‘ବୃଷଲୀ’ କୁହାଯାଇଛି; ଯାହାର ସନ୍ତାନ ମୃତ, ସେ ମଧ୍ୟ ‘ବୃଷଲୀ’। ଏବଂ ଯେ କୁମାରୀ ରଜସ୍ୱଳା ହୋଇଛି, ସେ ମଧ୍ୟ ‘ବୃଷଲୀ’ ବୋଲି କୁହାଯାଏ।

Word by Word

• vaṃdhyā: a barren woman
• vaṃdhyā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vandhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-निपात (particle: indeed)

• vṛṣalī: (is) a vṛṣalī / low-caste woman (term)
• vṛṣalī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣalī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• proktā: is said/called
• proktā: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + vac (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थः ‘कथिता/उच्यते’

• vṛṣalī: a vṛṣalī
• vṛṣalī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣalī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात

• mṛta-prajā: one whose children are dead
• mṛta-prajā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + prajā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (मृता प्रजा यस्याः/यस्या)

• aparā: another (kind)
• aparā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aparā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• vṛṣalī: a vṛṣalī
• vṛṣalī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣalī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• proktā: is said/called
• proktā: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + vac (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय-कृदन्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• kumārī: a maiden
• kumārī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kumārī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• yā: who
• yā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• rajasvalā: menstruating
• rajasvalā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rajasvalā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-like brāhmaṇa explains definitions to a householder, pointing to a manuscript; three small symbolic vignettes illustrate the defined cases (barrenness, child-loss, unmarried menstruating girl) rendered with restraint and dignity, emphasizing instruction not blame.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The passage defines traditional categories used in śrāddha regulations, reflecting how ritual manuals classified eligibility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the verse is definitional within śrāddha-vidhi.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A definitional rule clarifying who is designated by the term vṛṣalī for subsequent śrāddha restrictions.