Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

पितुर्गेहे तु या कन्या रजः पश्यत्यसंस्कृता । ब्रह्महत्या पितुस्तस्य सा कन्या वृषली स्मृता

Transliteration

piturgehe tu yā kanyā rajaḥ paśyatyasaṃskṛtā | brahmahatyā pitustasya sā kanyā vṛṣalī smṛtā

Translation

‘ପିତାଙ୍କ ଘରେ ଥାଇ, ବିବାହ-ସଂସ୍କାର ପୂର୍ବରୁ ଯେ କନ୍ୟା ରଜଃ (ମାସିକ ଧର୍ମ) ଦେଖେ, ସେହି ପିତାଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ ତାହା ବ୍ରହ୍ମହତ୍ୟାସମ ଦୋଷ ବୋଲି କୁହାଯାଏ; ଏବଂ ସେ କନ୍ୟା “ବୃଷଳୀ” ଭାବେ ସ୍ମୃତ।’

Word by Word

• पितुः: of (her) father
• पितुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन — 'of the father'

• गेहे: in the house
• गेहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — 'in the house'

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक — 'but/indeed'

• या: who
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम 'who/which'

• कन्या: girl/daughter
• कन्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• रजः: menses
• रजः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — 'menses/menstrual blood'

• पश्यति: sees/experiences
• पश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन — 'sees'

• असंस्कृता: unsanctified/unpurified
• असंस्कृता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + संस्कृत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √कृ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — नञ्-समासपूर्वक 'not purified/unsanctified'

• ब्रह्महत्या: (is) brahmin-slaying sin
• ब्रह्महत्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म + हत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — 'brahma-hatyā' (ब्राह्मण-वध-पाप)

• पितुः: of the father
• पितुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन — 'of the father'

• तस्य: of that (father)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन — 'of that (one)'

• सा: that (girl)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — 'she/that'

• कन्या: girl
• कन्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वृषली: a vṛṣalī (low-caste woman; term of reproach)
• वृषली: Pratipadyartha (Predicate nominal/प्रत्ययार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — जातिवाचक/निन्दावाचक संज्ञा

• स्मृता: is called/considered
• स्मृता: Kriya (Predicative verbal idea/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृत (कृदन्त; √स्मृ)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — 'is called/considered'

Speaker

King (father of the maiden)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stern admonition scene: the king warns of grave sin if an unmarried daughter reaches menstruation in the father’s house; the mood is heavy and cautionary.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmaśāstric category (asaṃskṛtā)
• Brahmahatyā (as a comparison)
• Vṛṣalī (term)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse reflects a Dharmaśāstra-based social ethic emphasizing timely saṃskāras and familial responsibility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The statement occurs within Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya, though it addresses household dharma rather than a particular sub-tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It implies the necessity of appropriate saṃskāra (marriage rite) at the proper time, as framed by Dharmaśāstric norms.