Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

व्रजेद्देवलको राजन्योनिं चाण्डालसंज्ञिताम् । दुर्भगः फलविक्रेता वृश्चिको वृषलीपतिः

Transliteration

vrajeddevalako rājanyoniṃ cāṇḍālasaṃjñitām | durbhagaḥ phalavikretā vṛściko vṛṣalīpatiḥ

Translation

يا أيها الملك، إن خادم المعبد الذي يقتات من خدمة غير لائقة يسقط إلى رحمٍ ملكيّ موسومٍ باسم «تشاندالا». وبائعُ الثمار يصير شقيًّا؛ ومن اتخذ امرأةً وضيعةَ النسب زوجًا يولد عقربًا.

Word by Word

• व्रजेत्: would go / should go
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present/Imperative sense), विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (singular)

• देवलकः: a temple-servant / devalaka
• देवलकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवलक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case/Nominative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• योनिम्: womb; birth; state
• योनिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः (feminine), द्वितीया (2nd case/Accusative), एकवचनम् (singular)

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

• चाण्डालसंज्ञिताम्: designated as a caṇḍāla (outcaste)
• चाण्डालसंज्ञिताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चाण्डाल (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञित (कृदन्त; √ज्ञा/ज्ञा-धातु, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः (feminine), द्वितीया (2nd case/Accusative), एकवचनम् (singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषणम् (past participle used adjectivally)

• दुर्भगः: an unfortunate man
• दुर्भगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्भग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case/Nominative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• फलविक्रेता: a seller of fruits
• फलविक्रेता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक) + विक्रेता (प्रातिपदिक; √क्री/विक्रि + तृच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case/Nominative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• वृश्चिकः: a scorpion
• वृश्चिकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृश्चिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case/Nominative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• वृषलीपतिः: husband of a śūdra-woman / low-caste woman
• वृषलीपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषली (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case/Nominative), एकवचनम् (singular)

Speaker

Unknown (contextual narrator within Revā Khaṇḍa; addressing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrthas (general Revākhaṇḍa frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The king

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king listens to a sage enumerating karmic retributions: a temple-servant misusing service, a fruit-seller cheating, and a man taking a low-born wife—each shown with symbolic rebirth imagery (royal womb branded as outcaste; scorpion form).

Characters & Entities

• rājan

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Livelihood and relationships must align with dharma; censured dependence, exploitation, and improper unions are said to bear painful karmic fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse functions as a dharma-warning within the Revā Khaṇḍa frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive of karmic consequences rather than prescribing a rite.