Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

प्रमादात्तस्य लोभेन पतन्ति नरके ध्रुवम्

Transliteration

pramādāttasya lobhena patanti narake dhruvam

Translation

Doch durch Unachtsamkeit — und durch Gier — fällt man gewiss in die Hölle.

Word by Word

• प्रमादात्: from negligence, due to heedlessness
• प्रमादात्: Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; ablative

• तस्य: of him/that
• तस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; genitive pronoun

• लोभेन: by greed
• लोभेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; instrumental

• पतन्ति: they fall
• पतन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• नरके: in hell
• नरके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; locative

• ध्रुवम्: certainly, surely
• ध्रुवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cautionary tableau: a pilgrim tempted by wealth becomes heedless; the rishi warns of a fall into naraka—contrasted with a vigilant pilgrim walking steadily.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage merit is undermined by moral negligence; greed and carelessness lead to spiritual ruin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named in this line; it serves as a general dharmic caution within the Brahmāvarta discussion.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A negative injunction: avoid pramāda (carelessness) and lobha (greed), which destroy spiritual progress.