Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

किं तु तत्र कृतं पापं वज्रलेपं सुदारुणम् । शूद्रीसंपर्क पापेन जातोऽसौ क्रूरयोनिषु

Transliteration

kiṃ tu tatra kṛtaṃ pāpaṃ vajralepaṃ sudāruṇam | śūdrīsaṃparka pāpena jāto'sau krūrayoniṣu

Translation

কিন্তু সেখানে কৃত পাপ বজ্রলেপের ন্যায় অতিভয়ংকর ছিল; শূদ্রী-সংসর্গের পাপে সে ক্রূর যোনিতে জন্ম নিল।

Word by Word

• किम्: however
• किम्: सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोग; प्रश्नार्थक-निपात (here: 'however/what then' in idiom 'किं तु')

• तु: but
• तु: सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अपवादार्थक-निपात

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय

• कृतम्: done/committed
• कृतम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: कर्ता/विषय (Subject/topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• वज्रलेपम्: an indelible (vajra-like) stain
• वज्रलेपम्: समानााधिकरण (Apposition to पापम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्र (प्रातिपदिक) + लेप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: 'वज्रवत् लेपः' (adamantine coating/indelible stain)

• सुदारुणम्: very dreadful
• सुदारुणम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + दारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying वज्रलेपम्/पापम्)

• शूद्री: of a Śūdra woman
• शूद्री: सम्बन्ध (Genitive within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• संपर्क: contact/association
• संपर्क: सम्बन्ध (Within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संपर्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/तृतीया-समासपूर्वपद (in compound sense: contact/association)

• पापेन: by/through the sin
• पापेन: हेतु (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• जातः: was born
• जातः: क्रिया (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) → जात (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकालिक (born)

• असौ: he
• असौ: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• क्रूर: cruel
• क्रूर: अधिकरण-विशेषण (Locative qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-बहुवचन (समासपूर्वपद-रूप; qualifying योनिषु)

• योनिषु: in wombs/births (species)
• योनिषु: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Purāṇic narration within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic depiction of sin as a dark, metallic ‘coating’ on the subtle body; thunderbolt imagery (vajra) hovering; the soul pushed toward fierce wombs—shadowy animal forms emerging from darkness.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even when a tīrtha’s grace delays hellish fall, specific grave actions can still harden into karmic residue, ripening as painful rebirths.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Kāśī/Vārāṇasī context indirectly, contrasting tīrtha-prabhāva with lingering karmic consequence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it emphasizes karmic causality and the severity of certain transgressions.