Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

वार्द्धुष्ये पङ्क्तिगरदे देवब्राह्मणदूषके । एवमादीनि पापानि तथान्यान्यपि भारत

Transliteration

vārddhuṣye paṅktigarade devabrāhmaṇadūṣake | evamādīni pāpāni tathānyānyapi bhārata

Translation

O Bhārata, Sünden wie Schaden in Fragen von Lebensunterhalt und Gedeihen, die Entweihung der heiligen Speisereihe und die Schmähung der Götter und der Brāhmaṇas—sowie viele andere Vergehen dieser Art—werden hier genannt.

Word by Word

• वार्द्धुष्ये: in usury/interest-taking (vārddhuṣya)
• वार्द्धुष्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वार्द्धुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (7th case/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पङ्क्तिगरदे: in a ‘paṅkti’-offence (polluting the dining row); in a paṅkti-poisoner/defiler
• पङ्क्तिगरदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पङ्क्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + गरद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (7th case/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• देवब्राह्मणदूषके: in one who harms/defiles gods and Brahmins
• देवब्राह्मणदूषके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक) + दूषक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (7th case/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/रीतिवाचक अव्यय (adverb: ‘thus’)

• आदीनि: beginning with; and the like
• आदीनि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पापानि: sins
• पापानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/सादृश्यार्थक अव्यय (also/likewise)

• अन्यानि: other
• अन्यानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अपि: also; even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक अव्यय (also/even)

• भारत: O Bhārata
• भारत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced: Āvantya Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śuklatīrtha (contextual)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (Bhārata)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A council-like scene at the ghat: community meal line (pankti) depicted as sacred; a figure about to disrupt it is restrained; above, deities and brāhmaṇas are shown as worthy of reverence; the river stands as witness and purifier.

Characters & Entities

• Bhārata (Yudhiṣṭhira)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even socially and ritually disruptive sins—like insulting devas and brāhmaṇas—are not beyond the remedial power of dharmic atonement and tīrtha-oriented purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śuklatīrtha, within the Revā Khaṇḍa (Āvantya Khaṇḍa) context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

This verse lists categories of sins; the subsequent verses specify expiation via Cāndrāyaṇa and bathing/offerings at Śuklatīrtha.