Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

शक्र वक्रगतिं मा गा मा कृथा यम यातनाम् । चेतः प्रचेतः शमय लौलुप्यं त्यज वित्तप

Transliteration

śakra vakragatiṃ mā gā mā kṛthā yama yātanām | cetaḥ pracetaḥ śamaya laulupyaṃ tyaja vittapa

Translation

Ô Śakra, ne prends pas la voie tortueuse ; ne te façonne pas de tourments dans le royaume de Yama. Ô mental—sois vigilant : apaise-toi, renonce à l’avidité, ô seigneur des richesses.

Word by Word

• शक्र: O Śakra (Indra)
• शक्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• वक्रगतिम्: crooked course/path
• वक्रगतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्र + गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (वक्रा गतिः)

• मा: do not
• मा: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (prohibitive particle)

• गा: go
• गा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; निषेधार्थे (with मा)

• मा: do not
• मा: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• कृथा: do/make
• कृथा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; निषेधार्थे (with मा)

• यम: O Yama
• यम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• यातनाम्: torment/punishment
• यातनाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यातना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• चेतः: O mind
• चेतः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• प्रचेतः: O attentive one / O consciousness
• प्रचेतः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रचेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• शमय: pacify
• शमय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• लौलुप्यम्: greed/covetousness
• लौलुप्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लौलुप्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• त्यज: abandon
• त्यज: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वित्तप: O wealthy one
• वित्तप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वित्तप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Speaker

Deductively: Skanda

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed vocatively to ‘Śakra’ and to the ‘mind’ (cetaḥ) / ‘lord of wealth’ (vittapa) as moral archetypes

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral tableau: two paths—one straight and bright leading to a Śiva-temple light, another crooked descending toward Yama’s dark realm; the mind is shown being calmed, greed personified as a grasping figure being cast away.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra
• Yama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Greed and crooked conduct lead to suffering; self-restraint and calming the mind are essential to dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs in the Revā Khaṇḍa context, implicitly tied to the sanctifying power of the Revā-tīra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A moral prescription: renounce greed (laulupya) and cultivate inner calm (śama).