Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

जालेन मत्स्यान्दुष्टात्मा घातयत्यनिशं खलु । भल्लैर्मृगाञ्छापदांश्च कृष्णसारांश्च शल्लकान्

Transliteration

jālena matsyānduṣṭātmā ghātayatyaniśaṃ khalu | bhallairmṛgāñchāpadāṃśca kṛṣṇasārāṃśca śallakān

Translation

وكان ذلك الخبيث القلب لا يكفّ عن قتل الأسماك بالشِّباك؛ وبالسهام كان يصرع الأيائل والوحوش، والكِرِشنَسارا (الظبي الأسود)، والنيص.

Word by Word

• जालेन: with a net
• जालेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular (by/with a net)

• मत्स्यान्: fish
• मत्स्यान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्स्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Accusative plural (objects)

• दुष्टात्मा: the wicked-souled man
• दुष्टात्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्ट-आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular (agent)

• घातयति: kills/causes to be killed
• घातयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: घातय् (धातु; √हन् causative)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present indicative, 3rd sg

• अनिशम्: continually
• अनिशम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनिशम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण — adverb (always/continually)

• खलु: indeed
• खलु: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: खलु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (emphatic particle)

• भल्लैः: with arrows
• भल्लैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भल्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural (with arrows)

• मृगान्: deer/animals
• मृगान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Accusative plural

• छापदान्: hares/rabbits
• छापदान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छापद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Accusative plural

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• कृष्णसारान्: blackbucks
• कृष्णसारान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्णसार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Accusative plural

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• शल्लकान्: porcupines
• शल्लकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शल्लक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Accusative plural

Speaker

Lomaśa (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grim forest-river edge: a hunter casting nets into water, fish thrashing; nearby, deer and blackbuck fall to arrows; the moral weight is conveyed through dark palette and tense animal movement.

Characters & Entities

• Caḍa (Puṣkasena implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Relentless violence toward beings is portrayed as deep adharma, setting the stage for the extraordinary purifying power of Śiva’s holy sphere.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra’s Śaiva landscape, where even a life steeped in cruelty can be redirected through contact with Śiva’s worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is stated; the verse enumerates sinful acts (himsā) relevant to later merit/atonement.