Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

घोरघोरतरा दृष्टाः क्लिश्यन्ते यत्र मानवाः । वाचिकैर्मानसैः पापैः कर्मजैश्च पृथग्विधैः

Transliteration

ghoraghoratarā dṛṣṭāḥ kliśyante yatra mānavāḥ | vācikairmānasaiḥ pāpaiḥ karmajaiśca pṛthagvidhaiḥ

Translation

More and more dreadful realms are seen—where human beings are afflicted—on account of sins of speech, sins of mind, and various other misdeeds born of action.

Word by Word

• घोरघोरतराः: most terrible
• घोरघोरतराः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक) + घोरतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (intensifying) = 'more and more terrible/most terrible'

• दृष्टाः: were seen
• दृष्टाः: Karma (Object/कर्म) (implicit, in passive sense)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट (कृदन्त/भूतकृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; predicative passive sense = 'were seen'

• क्लिश्यन्ते: they suffer/are tormented
• क्लिश्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्लिश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (where)

• मानवाः: humans
• मानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• वाचिकैः: by verbal (sins)
• वाचिकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाचिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; instrumental plural; qualifies पापैः

• मानसैः: by mental (sins)
• मानसैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; instrumental plural; qualifies पापैः

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

• कर्मजैः: by those arising from deeds
• कर्मजैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः = 'born of actions'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (and)

• पृथग्विधैः: by various kinds
• पृथग्विधैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय/पूर्वपद) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः = 'of separate kinds/various'

Speaker

Deductive: Skanda (Kārttikeya) narrating within Āvantya Khaṇḍa’s Reva Khaṇḍa frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sweeping view of increasingly dreadful regions where humans suffer, with three symbolic streams overlaying the scene: dark thought-clouds (mānasika), sharp speech-glyphs (vācika), and heavy chains/tools (karmāja) indicating distinct sources of torment.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires purity in speech, mind, and action; harm in any of these channels ripens into suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Reva Khaṇḍa’s larger canvas is the Revā/Narmadā sacred region, but this verse focuses on ethical causality rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is given; the implied prescription is restraint and ethical discipline in thought, word, and deed.