Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । पुरा शप्तो मुनीन्द्रेण दक्षेण किल भारत । असेवनाद्धि दाराणां क्षयरोगी भविष्यसि

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | purā śapto munīndreṇa dakṣeṇa kila bhārata | asevanāddhi dārāṇāṃ kṣayarogī bhaviṣyasi

Translation

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya sprach: „Einstmals, o Bhārata, wurde er wahrlich vom großen Weisen Dakṣa verflucht: ‚Weil du die Gemeinschaft mit deinen rechtmäßigen Gattinnen vernachlässigst, wirst du von Schwindsucht befallen werden.‘“

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेय: revered Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेय: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; श्री-शब्देन विशेषितः

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala-adhikarana (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (formerly/once)

• शप्तः: cursed
• शप्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मुनीन्द्रेण: by the lord of sages
• मुनीन्द्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• दक्षेण: by Dakṣa
• दक्षेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• किल: indeed; it is said
• किल: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (indeed/it is said)

• भारत: O Bhārata
• भारत: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• असेवनात्: from non-indulgence
• असेवनात्: Hetu/Apadana (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ + सेवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; नञ्-पूर्वक (non-service/non-indulgence)

• हि: for; indeed
• हि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (for/indeed)

• दाराणाम्: of wives
• दाराणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दार (प्रातिपदिक; pluralia tantum)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• क्षयरोगी: one afflicted with consumption (TB)
• क्षयरोगी: Karta-predicative (कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षय + रोगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; रोगिन्-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण

• भविष्यसि: you will become
• भविष्यसि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya narrates the ancient curse: Dakṣa, stern and radiant, pronounces a boon-like curse; Soma appears waning, pale, with a diminishing crescent, foreshadowing kṣaya-roga.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Dakṣa
• Bhārata (Yudhiṣṭhira as addressee)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Neglect of prescribed dharma, especially within household life, is portrayed as producing painful karmic consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse sets up the Somnātha narrative within the Revā Khaṇḍa; the tīrtha praise unfolds through the ensuing account.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is specified; it states a curse linked to neglect of marital duty.