Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

यम उवाच । न तु पूर्वं मुखं दृष्टं मया विश्वासघातिनाम् । ये मित्रद्रोहिणः पापास्तेषां किं शासनं भवेत्

Transliteration

yama uvāca | na tu pūrvaṃ mukhaṃ dṛṣṭaṃ mayā viśvāsaghātinām | ye mitradrohiṇaḥ pāpāsteṣāṃ kiṃ śāsanaṃ bhavet

Translation

Yama sprach: „Noch nie zuvor habe ich auch nur das Antlitz derer gesehen, die Vertrauen verraten. Für jene Sünder, die Freunde verraten—welche Strafe soll es geben?“

Word by Word

• यमः: Yama
• यमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrast/emphasis)

• पूर्वम्: before, previously
• पूर्वम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverbial accusative)

• मुखम्: face
• मुखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• दृष्टम्: has been seen
• दृष्टम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृष्ट (कृदन्त; दृश् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/स्त्री (common), तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• विश्वासघातिनाम्: of betrayers of trust
• विश्वासघातिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वास + घातिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विश्वासस्य घातिनः)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• मित्रद्रोहिणः: betrayers of friends
• मित्रद्रोहिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र + द्रोहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मित्रस्य द्रोहिणः)

• पापाः: sinful
• पापाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (ये)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

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

• शासनम्: punishment, rule
• शासनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शासन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• भवेत्: would be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Yama

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) Mahātmya context (implicit)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yama speaks from his throne, astonished and indignant, declaring he has never even seen the faces of trust-betrayers; the court reacts with dread.

Characters & Entities

• Yama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Betrayal of trust is portrayed as exceptionally grievous; dharma rests on reliability and fidelity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; this is a courtroom-like scene in Yama’s realm discussing ethical wrongdoing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is mentioned; the focus is on moral law and the gravity of treachery.