Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

विपरीतं परीतं वा स सद्यो मृत्युमृच्छति । दीपाधिगंधं नो वेत्ति वमत्यग्निं तथा निशि

Transliteration

viparītaṃ parītaṃ vā sa sadyo mṛtyumṛcchati | dīpādhigaṃdhaṃ no vetti vamatyagniṃ tathā niśi

Translation

If one sees things reversed or perverted as an evil sign, he quickly meets death. If he cannot perceive the scent of the lamp, and if at night he vomits fire, these too are portents of death.

Word by Word

• विपरीतम्: reversed/upside-down
• विपरीतम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपरीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular (as object/qualifier)

• परीतम्: turned around/encircled (variant omen)
• परीतम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विकल्पार्थक-निपात — disjunctive particle ‘or’

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular (pronoun)

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण — adverb

• मृत्युम्: death
• मृत्युम्: Gati/Karman (Goal as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• ऋच्छति: reaches/attains
• ऋच्छति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ऋच्छ्/ऋ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present indicative ‘reaches/attains’

• दीपाधिगन्धम्: the smell around the lamp
• दीपाधिगन्धम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीप + अधि + गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular; उपपद-तत्पुरुष ‘smell over/around the lamp’

• नः: not
• नः: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध-निपात — negative particle (here written ‘no’)

• वेत्ति: knows/perceives
• वेत्ति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present indicative ‘knows/perceives’

• वमति: vomits
• वमति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present indicative ‘vomits’

• अग्निम्: fire
• अग्निम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण — adverb ‘thus/likewise’

• निशि: at night
• निशि: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन — Locative singular

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) addressing the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A person experiences uncanny reversals—objects appear inverted; he cannot smell the lamp’s fragrance; at night a terrifying vision of ‘vomiting fire’ manifests, signaling doom.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Abnormal perception and terrifying inner disturbances are framed as warnings to urgently align life with dharma and spiritual practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a description of ariṣṭa (inauspicious) signs.