Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

दुष्कृतं पूर्वजं भोक्तुं ध्रुवं तदुपशाम्यति

Transliteration

duṣkṛtaṃ pūrvajaṃ bhoktuṃ dhruvaṃ tadupaśāmyati

Translation

إنّ السيّئة الماضية لا بدّ من تجرّع ثمرتها حقًّا؛ ثمّ لا ريب أنّها تهدأ وتخمد.

Word by Word

• दुष्कृतम्: evil deed; sin
• दुष्कृतम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन

• पूर्वजम्: former; previous
• पूर्वजम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (दुष्कृतस्य)

• भोक्तुम्: to experience; to undergo
• भोक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्तम् (infinitive), परस्मैपद-धातोः; प्रयोजनार्थकः

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषणम् (indeclinable adverbial use)

• तत्: that (sin)
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन; (वाक्ये विषय/उपपद)

• उपशाम्यति: subsides; is pacified
• उपशाम्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-शम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative sage or brāhmaṇa reflecting on the law of karma: a balance-like motif, dark cloud of past deed dissolving after being ‘lived through’, calm face indicating acceptance.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Karmic demerit ends by ripening; patient endurance helps one pass through it until it subsides.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None directly in this verse; it is a karma teaching set within the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the implied practice is forbearance and acceptance while karma is exhausted.