Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

इति निश्चित्य मनसा पापस्तं लवणोदधौ । चिक्षेप सोमशर्माणं पापध्यातेन चेतसा

Transliteration

iti niścitya manasā pāpastaṃ lavaṇodadhau | cikṣepa somaśarmāṇaṃ pāpadhyātena cetasā

Translation

So im Herzen entschlossen, schleuderte der Sünder Somaśarmā in den salzigen Ozean, mit einem Geist, der von böser Absicht verdunkelt war.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उद्धरण/निश्चयवाचक

• निश्चित्य: having decided
• निश्चित्य: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + चि (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘having decided/ascertained’

• मनसा: with (his) mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• पापः: the wicked man
• पापः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• लवणोदधौ: in the salt ocean
• लवणोदधौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लवण (प्रातिपदिक) + उदधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (लवणः उदधिः)

• चिक्षेप: threw/cast
• चिक्षेप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सोमशर्माणम्: Somaśarman
• सोमशर्माणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमशर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक, नाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• पापध्यातेन: with evil-intent (evil-thought)
• पापध्यातेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्यात (ध्यै, धातु; क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पापं ध्यातं येन/यत्)

• चेतसा: with (his) consciousness/mind
• चेतसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator in Revā Khaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: लवणोदधि (as geographic marker, not a praised tīrtha here)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Violent moment: Sahadeva thrusts Somaśarmā overboard into dark, foaming salt water; gold glints behind; the victim’s body arcs into the sea under a starless sky.

Characters & Entities

• Somaśarmā
• lavaṇodadhi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A mind that entertains pāpadhyāna (evil brooding) quickly turns to pāpakarma (sinful action), leading to inevitable karmic retribution.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse does not glorify a tīrtha; it advances a moral narrative within Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.