Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

धर्मज्ञश्च कृतज्ञश्च सर्वसत्त्वहिते रतः । अकामात्पातकं जातं कथं शुद्धिर्भविष्यति

Transliteration

dharmajñaśca kṛtajñaśca sarvasattvahite rataḥ | akāmātpātakaṃ jātaṃ kathaṃ śuddhirbhaviṣyati

Translation

„Ich kenne das Dharma, bin dankbar und dem Wohl aller Wesen zugetan. Doch ist aus mir ungewollt eine Sünde entstanden—wie wird Reinigung erlangt?“

Word by Word

• धर्मज्ञः: knower of dharma
• धर्मज्ञः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धर्मस्य ज्ञः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• कृतज्ञः: grateful
• कृतज्ञः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कृतस्य ज्ञः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• सर्वसत्त्वहिते: in the welfare of all beings
• सर्वसत्त्वहिते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + सत्त्व + हित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषां सत्त्वानां हिते)

• रतः: engaged/devoted
• रतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अकामात्: unintentionally
• अकामात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे हेतौ (from lack of desire/unintentionally)

• पातकम्: sin
• पातकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• जातम्: has arisen/occurred
• जातम्: Kriya (Result state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) + जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगे ‘उत्पन्नम्’

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• शुद्धिः: purification
• शुद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Citrasena

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛkṣaśṛṅga

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, visibly troubled, speaks with humility to the sage, describing his virtues yet confessing an unintended sin; the atmosphere is heavy with moral sorrow.

Characters & Entities

• Citrasena
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Good character does not erase unintended wrongdoing; dharma emphasizes purification through appropriate, guided expiation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa context aligns with Narmadā-region sacred geography, but this verse centers on ethical purification rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it poses the central question that the forthcoming verses are expected to answer.