Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

राज्ञीगमाद्भवेद्दुष्टतस्करो विड्वराहकः । परिवादी द्विजातीनां लभते काच्छपीं तनुम्

Transliteration

rājñīgamādbhavedduṣṭataskaro viḍvarāhakaḥ | parivādī dvijātīnāṃ labhate kācchapīṃ tanum

Translation

Durch unerlaubte Annäherung an die Gemahlin des Königs wird man ein ruchloser Dieb und als Eber wiedergeboren, der Unrat frisst. Wer die Zweimalgeborenen verleumdet, erlangt den Leib einer Schildkröte.

Word by Word

• राज्ञीगमात्: from going to the queen (adultery)
• राज्ञीगमात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्ञी + गमन (प्रातिपदिक; √गम् (धातु) + घञ्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (राज्ञ्याः गमनम्)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• दुष्टतस्करः: wicked thief
• दुष्टतस्करः: Karya/Phala (Result/फल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्ट + तस्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (दुष्टः तस्करः)

• विड्वराहकः: a boar-like creature (viḍvarāhaka)
• विड्वराहकः: Karya/Phala (Result/फल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विड् + वराहक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विडः/विटस्य वराहकः)

• परिवादी: slanderer/accuser
• परिवादी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परि + √वद् (धातु) + णिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि-णिन् (one who slanders)

• द्विजातीनाम्: of the twice-born (Brahmins etc.)
• द्विजातीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• काच्छपीम्: tortoise-like
• काच्छपीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काच्छपी (प्रातिपदिक; कच्छप-सम्बन्धिनी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तनुम्: body
• तनुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Unknown (contextual narrator within Revā Khaṇḍa; didactic voice to a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) milieu (contextual)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A palace boundary scene: a transgressor sneaking toward the queen, followed by imagery of a thief and a filthy boar; alongside, a man pointing and slandering brāhmaṇas near a temple, with a tortoise form encasing him—symbolizing slow, burdened consequence.

Characters & Entities

• rājñī (queen)
• dvijāti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Violating social trust (adultery in royal household) and harming the worthy through slander corrupts one’s destiny and leads to degrading rebirth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None explicitly; the verse is part of Revā Khaṇḍa’s moral instruction rather than a direct tīrtha-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it is a prohibition-based dharma teaching.