Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 98

Devanagari script

वनस्पतिगते सोमे मैथुनं यो निषेवते । ब्रह्महत्यासमं पापं लभते नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

vanaspatigate some maithunaṃ yo niṣevate | brahmahatyāsamaṃ pāpaṃ labhate nātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

جب سوم نباتات میں موجود ہو، جو کوئی ہم بستری کرے وہ برہمن ہتیا کے برابر گناہ پاتا ہے—اس میں کوئی شک نہیں۔

Word by Word

• वनस्पतिगते: when (it is) in the trees
• वनस्पतिगते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वनस्पति + गत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—वनस्पति-गत (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः)

• सोमे: in Soma (the Moon)
• सोमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• मैथुनम्: sexual intercourse
• मैथुनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैथुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• निषेवते: engages in, practices
• निषेवते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; धातुः—सेव्, उपसर्गः—नि

• ब्रह्महत्यासमम्: equal to brahma-murder
• ब्रह्महत्यासमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—ब्रह्महत्या-सम (कर्मधारयः: ब्रह्महत्यायाः समम्)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Desha-Adhikarana (Locative adverb/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed directly)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim couple at a forest hermitage by the river, choosing restraint: they sit apart in prayer under moonlit trees glowing with Soma; a symbolic scale shows the weight of brahma-hatyā as a warning against vow-breaking.

Characters & Entities

• Soma
• Brahmahatyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain times are framed as requiring heightened restraint; self-control is treated as protection of dharma and cosmic harmony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a site-specific praise; it is a vrata-style injunction within the Revā-khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A strict niyama (prohibition) against maithuna during the specified Soma/vegetation period.