Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

वागुवाच । कर्म्मणा यस्तु चंडालः सोऽग्रे मे स्थाप्यतां जनाः । तच्छ्रुत्वा महदाश्चर्यं मतिं चकुर्विलोचने

Transliteration

vāguvāca | karmmaṇā yastu caṃḍālaḥ so'gre me sthāpyatāṃ janāḥ | tacchrutvā mahadāścaryaṃ matiṃ cakurvilocane

Translation

Die Stimme sprach: „O ihr Menschen, denjenigen, der durch seine Taten ein Caṇḍāla ist, stellt vor mich.“ Als sie dies hörten, ergriff sie großes Staunen, und sie begannen mit scharfem Urteil zu suchen.

Word by Word

• vāk: the voice
• vāk: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāc (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• karmmaṇā: by action/deed
• karmmaṇā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha/Emphasis (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/विरोधसूचक (particle)

• caṇḍālaḥ: a caṇḍāla
• caṇḍālaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caṇḍāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• agre: in front, first
• agre: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोग; सप्तमी-एकवचनरूपेण (locative-form used adverbially: in front)

• me: of me / my
• me: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचन (Genitive singular) सर्वनाम

• sthāpyatām: let (him) be placed
• sthāpyatām: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; णिजन्त

• janāḥ: O people
• janāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), बहुवचन

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Kriya-krama (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-कृदन्त (gerund)

• mahat: great
• mahat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of āścaryam)

• āścaryam: wonder, astonishment
• āścaryam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āścarya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• matim: thought, intention
• matim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• cakuḥ: made, formed
• cakuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• vilocane: in (their) two eyes
• vilocane: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vilocana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), द्विवचन (Dual)

Speaker

Aśarīriṇī Vāk (Śiva’s voice from the liṅga)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya liṅga-sthāna (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas / assembled beings addressed as ‘janāḥ’

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The liṅga radiates a decisive oracle: ‘the caṇḍāla by deeds’; devas and seekers turn inward and outward—some pointing, some contemplating—beginning a search with sharpened eyes (vilocana) and thoughtful faces.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Liṅga
• Caṇḍāla (defined by karma)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity and impurity are determined by conduct (karma), not merely by label—dharma is measured by deeds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya’s liṅga is portrayed as a moral authority that defines dharma within the sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A refined instruction: identify and place before the deity the person who is ‘caṇḍāla by deeds’ (karmic misconduct).