Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

आत्मानं सह याज्येन पातयन्ति न संशयः । शाल्मलीनावतुल्याः स्युः षट्कर्मनिरता द्विजाः

Transliteration

ātmānaṃ saha yājyena pātayanti na saṃśayaḥ | śālmalīnāvatulyāḥ syuḥ ṣaṭkarmaniratā dvijāḥ

Translation

Sie stürzen ohne Zweifel sowohl sich selbst als auch den, für den das Ritual vollzogen wird. Zweimalgeborene, die nur den „sechs Handlungen“ ergeben sind, gleichen der Baumwolle des Śālmalī-Baumes: äußerlich reichlich, doch ohne wahres Gewicht.

Word by Word

• आत्मानम्: oneself
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन / Masculine, accusative singular

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakāraka (Accompaniment)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सहकारार्थक-अव्यय (preposition/adverb: 'together with')

• याज्येन: with the patron (one for whom sacrifice is performed)
• याज्येन: Sahakāraka (Accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/सह), एकवचन / Masculine, instrumental singular

• पातयन्ति: they cause to fall / ruin
• पातयन्ति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु) caus. पातय्
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन / Present indicative, 3rd person, plural

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Pratijñā/Avadhāraṇa (Assertion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता/वाक्योपपत्ति), एकवचन / Masculine, nominative singular

• शाल्मली: of the silk-cotton tree (śālmali)
• शाल्मली: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाल्मली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-सम्बन्धार्थे (समासपूर्वपदत्वेन) / Feminine, genitive-relation sense (as prior member)

• नाव: boat
• नाव: Upamāna component (compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नौ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासमध्यपदत्वेन) / Feminine, nominative/accusative singular (as compound member)

• तुल्याः: like, comparable to
• तुल्याः: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन / Masculine, nominative plural

• स्युः: would be / are said to be
• स्युः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन / Optative, 3rd person, plural

• षट्: six
• षट्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षट् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक, अव्ययवत्-प्रयोग (समासपूर्वपदत्वेन) / Numeral used as indeclinable-like prior member in compound

• कर्म: duties/rites
• कर्म: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-सम्बन्धार्थे (समासमध्यपदत्वेन) / Neuter, genitive-relation sense (as compound member)

• निरताः: engaged in, devoted to
• निरताः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + रम् (धातु) → निरत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन / Past participle (kta), masculine, nominative plural

• द्विजाः: twice-born men
• द्विजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन / Masculine, nominative plural

Speaker

Skanda (contextual attribution within Revā Khaṇḍa narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A patron about to commission a rite is shown being cautioned; a priest surrounded by ritual paraphernalia appears busy yet hollow, with śālmalī cotton drifting—symbolizing empty abundance.

Characters & Entities

• ṣaṭkarma
• yājya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual performed as mere profession without inner discipline can harm both priest and patron.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is part of the Someshvara-centered Revā Khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A warning against choosing priests who are only professionally ritualistic, lacking deeper qualification.