Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

गोब्राह्मणा हता नित्यमिह लोके परत्र च । नाशितान्यन्नपानानि मठारामाश्रमास्तथा

Transliteration

gobrāhmaṇā hatā nityamiha loke paratra ca | nāśitānyannapānāni maṭhārāmāśramāstathā

Translation

গো ও ব্রাহ্মণদের নিত্যই আঘাত করা হয়েছে—ইহলোকে ও পরলোকে। অন্ন-পানীয়ের ভাণ্ডার ধ্বংস হয়েছে, আর মঠ, উদ্যান ও আশ্রমও।

Word by Word

• गो-ब्राह्मणाः: cows and Brahmins
• गो-ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक) + ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व: ‘गवश्च ब्राह्मणाश्च’

• हताः: killed
• हताः: Karta-anvaya (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि ‘killed’ (गोब्राह्मणाः इत्यस्य विशेषण)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative) ‘always’

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय ‘here’

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• परत्र: in the next world
• परत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक अव्यय ‘in the other world/thereafter’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• नाशितानि: destroyed
• नाशितानि: Karta-anvaya (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाशय् (धातु; causative of √नश्) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘destroyed’ (अन्नपानानि इत्यस्य विशेषण)

• अन्न-पानानि: foods and drinks
• अन्न-पानानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + पान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व: ‘अन्नानि च पानानि च’

• मठ-आराम-आश्रमाः: monasteries, gardens, and hermitages
• मठ-आराम-आश्रमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मठ (प्रातिपदिक) + आराम (प्रातिपदिक) + आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समाहार/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व: ‘monasteries, gardens, and hermitages’

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण/समुच्चयार्थ अव्यय ‘likewise/also’

Speaker

Unspecified penitent (contextual speaker within Revā Khaṇḍa narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (āśrama-maṇḍala)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devastated sacred settlement: injured cows, distressed brāhmaṇas, toppled granaries, broken water pots, ruined maṭha buildings and gardens; Bāṇa’s voiceover confession implied amid smoky haze.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Go (cow)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Harming cows, brāhmaṇas, and sacred institutions is a grave adharma that brings suffering in both this life and the afterlife.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā (Narmadā) region is the overarching tīrtha-context; this line highlights violations against dharmic society rather than a single named spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; the verse functions as a confession of adharma, implying the need for expiation and refuge in Śiva.