Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

अहल्यापि ततः शप्ता यस्मात्त्वं दुष्टचारिणी । प्रेक्ष्य मां रमसे शक्रं तस्मादश्ममयी भव

Transliteration

ahalyāpi tataḥ śaptā yasmāttvaṃ duṣṭacāriṇī | prekṣya māṃ ramase śakraṃ tasmādaśmamayī bhava

Translation

Alors Ahalyā fut elle aussi maudite : «Puisque tu as agi avec perversité—me voyant, et pourtant te complaisant en Śakra—deviens donc de pierre».

Word by Word

• अहल्या: Ahalyā
• अहल्या: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहल्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-कार (also/even)

• ततः: thereupon/then
• ततः: Temporal/causal adverbial
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय/सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक तद्)
• Form: अव्यय; तद्-प्रभव (ablatival adverb)

• शप्ता: was cursed
• शप्ता: Kriya (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थ (cursed)

• यस्मात्: because
• यस्मात्: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: यद्-शब्द, पञ्चमी-एकवचन रूपेण कारणार्थक-अव्यय (because/from which)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तम/मध्यम? (2nd person pronoun), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दुष्टचारिणी: of wicked conduct
• दुष्टचारिणी: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्ट-चारिणी (प्रातिपदिक; दुष्ट + चारिणी)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (त्वम्)

• प्रेक्ष्य: having looked at/seeing
• प्रेक्ष्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रेक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रमसे: you delight/enjoy
• रमसे: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• शक्रम्: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Conclusion marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तद्-शब्द, पञ्चमी-एकवचन रूपेण हेत्वर्थक-अव्यय (therefore/from that)

• अश्ममयी: made of stone
• अश्ममयी: Kriya-predicative (Complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अश्म-मयी (प्रातिपदिक; अश्मन् + मयट्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (अश्मनः मयी = made of stone); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• भव: become
• भव: Kriya (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Gautama Ṛṣi

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gautama, stern and ascetic, pronounces a curse; Ahalyā stands in shame as her form begins to harden into stone; the atmosphere is charged with moral gravity, with the hermitage fire and witnesses (trees, animals) still.

Characters & Entities

• Ahalyā
• Śakra (Indra)
• Gautama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma emphasizes accountability: consent to wrongdoing carries consequence, and inner choice is judged alongside outward action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative pronouncement of a curse and its ethical basis.