Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

मात्सर्यादथ जात्यन्धो जन्मान्धः पुस्तकं हरन् । फलान्याहरतोऽपत्यं म्रियते नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

mātsaryādatha jātyandho janmāndhaḥ pustakaṃ haran | phalānyāharato'patyaṃ mriyate nātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

Aus Neid wird man von Geburt an blind. Wer ein Buch stiehlt, wird blind geboren. Und wer Früchte raubt, dessen Kind stirbt — daran besteht kein Zweifel.

Word by Word

• मात्सर्यात्: from jealousy
• मात्सर्यात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मात्सर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (because of)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse connector (सम्बन्धसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमार्थक (then)

• जात्यन्धः: one blind by birth
• जात्यन्धः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाति + अन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जात्या अन्धः/जात्याः अन्धः)

• जन्मान्धः: birth-blind (blind from birth)
• जन्मान्धः: Karta-predicative/Apposition (समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् + अन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (जन्मना अन्धः)

• पुस्तकम्: a book
• पुस्तकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुस्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• हरन्: stealing/taking away
• हरन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तरि

• फलानि: fruits
• फलानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• आहरतः: of (one) bringing / while bringing
• आहरतः: Genitive relation / Agent context (सम्बन्ध/कर्तृसन्दर्भ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-हृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन?; रूपसाम्ये सन्देहः—पाठे ‘आहरतः’ सामान्यतः लट्, मध्यमपुरुष द्विवचन (you two bring) अथवा प्रातिपदिक-षष्ठी/सप्तमी द्विवचन; अत्र सन्दर्भे ‘आहरतः’ = ‘आहरतः (तस्य)’ इति षष्ठी एकवचनस्य स्थानिक-प्रयोगः (आहरतस्) इति सम्भाव्यम्

• अपत्यम्: offspring/child
• अपत्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• म्रियते: dies
• म्रियते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• न: not
• न: Negation particle (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb: here/in this matter)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta-predicative (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha sphere (contextual)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Three karmic emblems: a jealous figure with narrowed eyes turning into a blind newborn; a thief slipping away with a palm-leaf manuscript, followed by the motif of blindness; a person plucking fruits from a sacred grove while a cradle scene fades, indicating loss of child.

Characters & Entities

• pustaka (book)
• phala (fruits)
• mātsarya (envy)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Envy and theft—especially theft of learning—are portrayed as direct causes of darkness in life, symbolized by blindness and loss.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse; it is a karmic-ethical statement within Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is prohibitive, discouraging envy and theft.