Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

पूर्णे संवत्सरे देहं संपूर्णं प्रतिपद्यते । पापात्मा घोररूपं तु धार्मिको दिव्यमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

pūrṇe saṃvatsare dehaṃ saṃpūrṇaṃ pratipadyate | pāpātmā ghorarūpaṃ tu dhārmiko divyamuttamam

Translation

إذا اكتملت سنةٌ تامّة نال الكائن جسدًا مكتمل التكوين. أمّا ذو النفس الآثمة فيتخذ هيئةً مروّعة، وأمّا البارّ السالك للدارما فينال هيئةً نورانيةً سامية.

Word by Word

• पूर्णे: when completed/at the completion
• पूर्णे: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन — Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular; विशेषणम् (संवत्सरे)

• संवत्सरे: in a year
• संवत्सरे: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन — Masculine, Locative, Singular

• देहम्: a body
• देहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/Accusative), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• संपूर्णम्: complete/entire
• संपूर्णम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संपूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular; विशेषणम् (देहम्)

• प्रतिपद्यते: attains/obtains
• प्रतिपद्यते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति√पद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present, 3rd singular; अर्थः ‘प्राप्नोति/attains’

• पापात्मा: the sinful person
• पापात्मा: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप-आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः कर्मधारय (पापः आत्मा यस्य/पाप आत्मा); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• घोररूपम्: a terrible form
• घोररूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घोर-रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः कर्मधारय (घोरं रूपम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/Accusative), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तु: but
• तु: Contrast (विरोध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषणार्थक-अव्यय (adversative particle)

• धार्मिकः: the righteous person
• धार्मिकः: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धार्मिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/Nominative), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दिव्यम्: divine
• दिव्यम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; विशेषणम् (उत्तमम्/रूपम् implied)

• उत्तमम्: excellent/supreme
• उत्तमम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; विशेषणम् (दिव्यम्/रूपम् implied)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic one-year cycle shown as a wheel; at its completion, two figures emerge: one dreadful and shadowy (pāpātmā), another luminous and serene (dhārmika), indicating karmic determination of form.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Karma shapes one’s post-mortem condition: righteousness yields a luminous state, sin yields a fearful one.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse teaches general purāṇic afterlife doctrine.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A time-marker is implied (completion of a year), aligning with annual śrāddha cycles, though no specific act is detailed here.