Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

आस्तां तावत्समा संगं संस्पर्शं च वरानने । संभाषमपि पापाय स्त्रीभिः पाशुपतस्य च

Transliteration

āstāṃ tāvatsamā saṃgaṃ saṃsparśaṃ ca varānane | saṃbhāṣamapi pāpāya strībhiḥ pāśupatasya ca

Translation

اے خوش رُو! طویل صحبت اور جسمانی لمس تو درکنار، پاشوپت (شیو بھکت سنیاسی) ضابطہ اپنانے والے کے لیے عورتوں سے گفتگو بھی گناہ کا سبب بن جاتی ہے۔

Word by Word

• āstām: let it be / enough of that
• āstām: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ās (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन; ‘आस्ताम्’ = अस्तु/भवतु (let it be)

• tāvat: for the moment / so much
• tāvat: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/सीमा-बोधक (adverb: for now/so much)

• samām: a year
• samām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• saṅgam: association
• saṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• saṃsparśam: touch
• saṃsparśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃsparśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• varānane: O fair-faced one
• varānane: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara + ānana (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—वरम् आननं यस्याः

• saṃbhāṣam: conversation
• saṃbhāṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃbhāṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि = even/also (particle)

• pāpāya: for sin / leading to sin
• pāpāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजन/फल-निर्देश (for the sake/result)

• strībhiḥ: with women
• strībhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• pāśupatasya: of a Pāśupata (votary)
• pāśupatasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāśupata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

Speaker

Unspecified (contextually a male ascetic/Viśvāmitra addressing Menakā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Contextual) sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest hermitage scene: the ascetic gestures ‘stop’ while a celestial woman stands at a respectful distance; the emphasis is on the thin line between conversation and attachment.

Characters & Entities

• Pāśupata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

For a vowed Śaiva practitioner, guarding the senses is essential; even casual speech can disturb vrata and generate pāpa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse functions as ethical instruction within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya frame; the specific tīrtha is not named in this single shloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A discipline of avoidance (niyama): refraining from association, touch, and even conversation that may break ascetic restraint.