Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

वृषलीगमनं चैव तथाभक्ष्यस्य भक्षणम् । अविक्रयेऽनृते पापं माहिषेऽयाज्ययाजके

Transliteration

vṛṣalīgamanaṃ caiva tathābhakṣyasya bhakṣaṇam | avikraye'nṛte pāpaṃ māhiṣe'yājyayājake

Translation

ومن الآثام: معاشرة الـvṛṣalī، وأكل المحرَّم، وإثم التجارة الغاشّة والكذب، وما يتصل بذبيحة الجاموس وبالقيام بالكهانة لمن لا يستحق—فمن جميع ذلك يتطهّر المرء.

Word by Word

• वृषलीगमनम्: going to a vṛṣalī (low-caste woman); intercourse
• वृषलीगमनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषली (प्रातिपदिक) + गमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nominative/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• अभक्ष्यस्य: of what is forbidden to eat
• अभक्ष्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभक्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी (6th case/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• भक्षणम्: eating
• भक्षणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nominative/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अविक्रये: in non-selling; in not selling (what should be sold)
• अविक्रये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविक्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (7th case/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अनृते: in falsehood; in lying
• अनृते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (7th case/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nominative/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• माहिषे: in (sacrificing) a buffalo; in the buffalo (context)
• माहिषे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (7th case/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अयाज्ययाजके: in one who officiates for an unfit patron
• अयाज्ययाजके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयाज्य (प्रातिपदिक) + याजक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (7th case/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śuklatīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: a priest instructs pilgrims at the river; symbolic vignettes of ‘forbidden acts’ fade like shadows behind the bather, indicating purification; the riverbank is bright and orderly.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma (implied)
• Yajña (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic dharma condemns specific transgressions while also affirming that sacred merit and repentance can purify.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Śuklatīrtha-centered praise in Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

This verse lists sinful acts; the surrounding passage frames the tīrtha’s observances (snāna, pūjā, dāna, upavāsa) as the purifying means.