Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

स्त्रीणां प्रतिग्रहेणैव विप्रेषु प्रोषितेषु च । पृथक्त्वं च ततो जातं बाह्याभ्यन्तरसंज्ञकम्

Transliteration

strīṇāṃ pratigraheṇaiva vipreṣu proṣiteṣu ca | pṛthaktvaṃ ca tato jātaṃ bāhyābhyantarasaṃjñakam

Translation

பெண்களிடமிருந்து தானம் ஏற்றதினாலே—விசேஷமாகப் பிராமணர்கள் வெளிநாட்டில் இருந்தபோது—அதனால் ‘புற’ ‘அக’ எனப்படும் வேற்றுமை உண்டாயிற்று।

Word by Word

• स्त्रीणाम्: of women
• स्त्रीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• प्रतिग्रहेण: by acceptance (of gifts)
• प्रतिग्रहेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• विप्रेषु: among/when the brāhmaṇas
• विप्रेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• प्रोषितेषु: being away/absent
• प्रोषितेषु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रोषित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle) √वस् (धातु) उपसर्ग-प्रो-; अर्थः ‘प्रवासित/दूरस्थित’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• पृथक्त्वम्: separation/division
• पृथक्त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथक्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• ततः: from that/thereupon
• ततः: Hetu/Apadana (Source/Cause nuance)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• जातम्: arisen/produced
• जातम्: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जात (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle) √जन् (धातु)

• बाह्याभ्यन्तरसंज्ञकम्: having the designation ‘external and internal’
• बाह्याभ्यन्तरसंज्ञकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाह्य + अभ्यन्तर + संज्ञक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—(बाह्याभ्यन्तर) कर्मधारय/द्वन्द्व-समासार्थः ‘बाह्यं च अभ्यन्तरं च’ + संज्ञक (तत्पुरुष: ‘बाह्याभ्यन्तर-संज्ञा यस्य’)

Speaker

Viśvāmitra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A council of townsfolk split into two groups labeled ‘external’ and ‘internal’, with absent brāhmaṇas indicated by empty seats; a tense exchange over gifts and propriety.

Characters & Entities

• Vipra (brāhmaṇas)
• Strī (women)
• Bāhya
• Abhyantara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ethical conduct around giving and receiving (dāna–pratigraha) is portrayed as shaping communal and ritual boundaries.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse remains within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s tīrtha discourse; it explains a custom rather than praising a named location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It provides a causal account: accepting gifts from women during the brāhmaṇas’ absence led to an ‘external/internal’ division impacting ritual standing.