Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

गुरुणा बटुरुक्तोऽथ किमेतत्साहसं कृतम् । एतेषां मातृपितरो बालकानां गृहेऽङ्गनाः

Transliteration

guruṇā baṭurukto'tha kimetatsāhasaṃ kṛtam | eteṣāṃ mātṛpitaro bālakānāṃ gṛhe'ṅganāḥ

Translation

Da sprach der junge Schüler zu seinem Lehrer: „Was ist das für ein verwegener Frevel, der begangen wurde? Die Mütter und Väter dieser Kinder sind daheim, bei den Frauen des Hauses.“

Word by Word

• गुरुणा: by the teacher
• गुरुणा: Karta (Agent, instrumental in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• बटुः: the boy/brahmacārin
• बटुः: Karma/Karta (Patient-subject in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बटु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• उक्तः: was addressed
• उक्तः: Kriyā (Predicate state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √वच्)
• Form: भूतकालिक-कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे ‘was spoken to/was addressed’

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनुक्रम/अनन्तरार्थक (then/now)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object, interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; ‘this’ (qualifying ‘साहसम्’)

• साहसम्: rash act/violence
• साहसम्: Karma (Object/predicate complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साहस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• कृतम्: done
• कृतम्: Kriyā (Predicate state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √कृ)
• Form: भूतकालिक-कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; ‘done’ (predicate)

• एतेषाम्: of these
• एतेषाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; ‘of these’

• मातृपितरः: mothers and fathers (parents)
• मातृपितरः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ + पितृ (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः (‘मातरश्च पितरश्च’)

• बालकानाम्: of the children
• बालकानाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बालक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

• गृहे: in the house
• गृहे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• अङ्गनाः: women/wives
• अङ्गनाः: Karta (Subject/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

Speaker

Baṭu (young student/brahmacārin in the narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A young brahmacārin, distressed, addresses his guru with folded hands, questioning the rashness of the act and invoking the sorrow of parents waiting at home.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes social responsibility—reckless actions create suffering for families and communities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is part of the Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha narrative that later highlights Bhārabhūteśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse emphasizes ethical reflection rather than a specific rite.