Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

ब्रह्महा क्षयरोगी स्यात्सुरापः श्यावदंतकः । सुवर्णचौरः कुनखी दुश्चर्मा गुरुतल्पगः

Transliteration

brahmahā kṣayarogī syātsurāpaḥ śyāvadaṃtakaḥ | suvarṇacauraḥ kunakhī duścarmā gurutalpagaḥ

Translation

A slayer of a brāhmaṇa becomes afflicted with consumption; a drinker of liquor becomes dark-toothed; a stealer of gold becomes deformed-nailed; and one who violates the teacher’s bed becomes diseased of skin.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्महा: a brahmin-killer
• ब्रह्महा: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + हन् (प्रातिपदिक; उपपद-समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन; ब्रह्मणः हन्ता (brahmin-slayer)

• क्षयरोगी: consumptive (TB patient)
• क्षयरोगी: Kartā (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय + रोगिन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्षयरोगयुक्तः (one having consumption)

• स्यात्: would become
• स्यात्: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सुरापः: liquor-drinker
• सुरापः: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरा + पा (प्रातिपदिक; उपपद-समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सुरां पिबति इति (drinker of liquor)

• श्यावदंतकः: one with darkened teeth
• श्यावदंतकः: Kartā (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्याव + दन्तक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; श्यावाः दन्ताः यस्य/श्यावदन्तः (dark-toothed)

• सुवर्णचौरः: gold-thief
• सुवर्णचौरः: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुवर्ण + चौर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सुवर्णस्य चौरः (gold-thief)

• कुनखी: one with deformed nails
• कुनखी: Kartā (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कु + नखिन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कुदन्त/कुनखयुक्तः (having bad nails)

• दुश्चर्मा: one with bad skin disease
• दुश्चर्मा: Kartā (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुस् + चर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; दुष्टं चर्म यस्य (having diseased skin)

• गुरुतल्पगः: violator of the teacher’s bed
• गुरुतल्पगः: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु + तल्प + ग (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; गुरोः तल्पं गच्छति इति (one who violates the guru’s bed)

Speaker

Kamaṭha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau listing four mahāpātakas with symbolic visual metaphors: a fading body (consumption), darkened teeth, distorted nails, and diseased skin—presented as cautionary emblems rather than gore.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇa
• guru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Grave sins (mahāpātakas) bear tangible consequences, warning one to uphold dharma and purity of conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised in this verse; it is an ethical catalogue of karmic effects.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No expiation is stated here; only the stated results of specific sins.