Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

एवं ब्रुवंश्चलन्क्रोधादादिश्य दण्डवासिनम् । कार्याकार्यं न विज्ञाय शूलमारोपयद्द्विजम्

Transliteration

evaṃ bruvaṃścalankrodhādādiśya daṇḍavāsinam | kāryākāryaṃ na vijñāya śūlamāropayaddvijam

Translation

So sprechend und vor Zorn zitternd, befahl der König dem Strafvollstrecker; ohne zu unterscheiden, was getan und was nicht getan werden sollte, ließ er den Zweimalgeborenen (Brāhmaṇa) auf einen Pfahl spießen.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारार्थक-अव्यय (thus)

• ब्रुवन्: speaking
• ब्रुवन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चलन्: moving / agitated
• चलन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चल् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• क्रोधात्: from anger / due to anger
• क्रोधात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• आदिश्य: having ordered
• आदिश्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-दिś् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund), ‘having ordered/commanded’

• दण्डवासिनम्: the dweller in Daṇḍa (forest/region)
• दण्डवासिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्डवासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (दण्डे वासी = one dwelling in Daṇḍa/Daṇḍakāraṇya)

• कार्य-अकार्यं: right and wrong (duty and non-duty)
• कार्य-अकार्यं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अकार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्वः (pair: what should/should not be done)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• विज्ञाय: having known
• विज्ञाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund), ‘having known/ascertained’ (here with negation: ‘without knowing’)

• शूलम्: on the stake
• शूलम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आरोपयत्: impaled / mounted
• आरोपयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-रुह्/आ-रोप् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• द्विजम्: the Brahmin
• द्विजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (narrative voice, inferred from the adjoining context continuing into Adhyāya 171)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā tīra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, shaking with anger, orders the executioner; the dvija is impaled; the moment captures irreversible wrongdoing—command, compliance, and the victim’s sanctity violated.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Anger-driven judgment that ignores dharma leads to grave sin; a ruler must discern right and wrong before punishing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider setting is the Revā (Narmadā) region in the Revā Khaṇḍa, though this verse itself focuses on rajadharma rather than a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes an unethical act (impalement) as a warning, not a prescribed rite.