Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

इत्येवमादिभिः पापैरशास्त्रौघस्य सेवनैः । पतंत्येव महाघोरनरकेषु सहस्रशः

Transliteration

ityevamādibhiḥ pāpairaśāstraughasya sevanaiḥ | pataṃtyeva mahāghoranarakeṣu sahasraśaḥ

Translation

Durch solche Sünden und dergleichen—durch das Sich-Hingeben an eine Flut unśāstrischer Praktiken—stürzen die Menschen gewiss zu Tausenden in überaus schreckliche Höllen.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• एवम्: in this way
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• आदिभिः: by such and other (acts)
• आदिभिः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• पापैः: by sins
• पापैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• अशास्त्रौघस्य: of a flood/collection of unscriptural (practices)
• अशास्त्रौघस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ + शास्त्र + ओघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अशास्त्राणाम् ओघः)

• सेवनैः: by indulgences/practices
• सेवनैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात

• महाघोरनरकेषु: in very terrible hells
• महाघोरनरकेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā + घोर + नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महान्ति घोराणि नरकाणि)

• सहस्रशः: by thousands, innumerably
• सहस्रशः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/आवृत्तिवाचक-अव्यय (distributive adverb)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahāghora-narakas (generic)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/Devotees

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sweeping allegory: a torrent labeled ‘aśāstra’ carries crowds toward a dark chasm of many hells; on higher ground stand sages holding śāstra, pointing to a safe path of dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Naraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma must be aligned with śāstra; unregulated, unscriptural conduct leads to grave karmic consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the verse is a general dharma instruction within the chapter’s naraka discussion.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, it prescribes adherence to śāstra-based practice, but no specific rite (snāna, dāna, japa) is named.