Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

ये शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य वर्तन्ते कामचारतः । कृमियोनिं प्रपद्यन्ते तेषां पिण्डो न च क्रिया

Transliteration

ye śāstravidhimutsṛjya vartante kāmacārataḥ | kṛmiyoniṃ prapadyante teṣāṃ piṇḍo na ca kriyā

Translation

الذين يطرحون أحكام الشاسترا جانبًا ويسيرون وفق الهوى والشهوة، ينالون ولاداتٍ في أرحام الديدان؛ فلا يكون لهم قُربانُ البِنْدَة للآباء ولا طقوسُ الجنازة (كريا).

Word by Word

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• शास्त्रविधिम्: the scriptural injunction
• शास्त्रविधिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—शास्त्रस्य विधिः (scriptural rule)

• उत्सृज्य: having cast aside
• उत्सृज्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत् + √सृज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having abandoned’

• वर्तन्ते: behave, act
• वर्तन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• कामचारतः: according to their own desire (at will)
• कामचारतः: Hetu/Prakara (Manner/Cause nuance/हेतु-प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + चार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ; ‘from/according to’ + स्वेच्छाचार (at will)

• कृमियोनिम्: a worm-birth
• कृमियोनिम्: Karma (Object/Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृमि (प्रातिपदिक) + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कृमेः योनिḥ (worm-womb/species)

• प्रपद्यन्ते: attain, fall into
• प्रपद्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √पद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• पिण्डः: funeral offering (piṇḍa)
• पिण्डः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

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

• क्रिया: rite, ritual act
• क्रिया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (श्राद्धादि) कर्म-क्रिया

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic narrator within Revā Khaṇḍa; context suggests a Purāṇic teacher addressing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) śrāddha-tirtha context

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (dialogue frame continuity)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark moral tableau: a person discards a scripture bundle and walks toward a shadowy, decaying ground; below, imagery of worms symbolizes degraded rebirth; in contrast, a riverbank śrāddha scene fades away, indicating loss of piṇḍa and kriyā.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scriptural discipline (śāstra-vidhi) safeguards dharma; living by whim leads to painful karmic rebirth and loss of auspicious rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader chapter belongs to the Revā/Narmadā Māhātmya, preparing the ground for the river’s purifying greatness rather than naming a single tirtha in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Piṇḍa (ancestral offering) and kriyā (funeral/obsequial rites) are referenced as being forfeited by those who reject śāstric conduct.