Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

पापभेदी कृतघ्नश्च स्वामिविश्वासघातकः । गोघ्नश्च गरदश्चैव कन्याविक्रयकारकः

Transliteration

pāpabhedī kṛtaghnaśca svāmiviśvāsaghātakaḥ | goghnaśca garadaścaiva kanyāvikrayakārakaḥ

Translation

Ebenso: der Zerstörer des Dharma, der Undankbare, der Verräter am Vertrauen des Herrn, der Kuhmörder, der Vergifter und sogar der, der eine Jungfrau gegen Preis zur Ehe verkauft.

Word by Word

• पापभेदी: a grievous sinner (lit. sin-breaker)
• पापभेदी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप + भेदिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; पापभेदी = पापभेदनकर्ता (sin-splitter/one who commits sin-breaking acts)

• कृतघ्नः: ingrate, ungrateful person
• कृतघ्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत + घ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कृतघ्नः = उपकारघ्नः (ungrateful)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• स्वामिविश्वासघातकः: betrayer of the master’s trust
• स्वामिविश्वासघातकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वामि + विश्वास + घातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; स्वामिविश्वासस्य घातकः (betrayer of master's trust)

• गोघ्नः: cow-killer
• गोघ्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + घ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• गरदः: poisoner
• गरदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: garada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed, even
• एव: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• कन्याविक्रयकारकः: seller of a maiden (arranger of maiden-sale)
• कन्याविक्रयकारकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या + विक्रय + कारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कन्याविक्रयस्य कारकः (one who causes/sells a maiden)

Speaker

Deductive (Revākhaṇḍa narrative voice; traditionally Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa conveying the Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā-māhātmya

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral tableau: figures representing betrayal of trust, poisoning, cow-killing, and commodification of marriage; above them, the sound of recitation appears as a luminous script stream washing over, indicating the possibility of purification and reform.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text underscores the gravity of specific adharma while preparing the claim that Narmadā’s glory purifies even such offenders.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly the Narmadā sacred region (Revā-kṣetra) whose Māhātmya is being taught.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is prescribed here; it continues the list of grave sins referenced in the surrounding verses.