Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

जातं तु स्वगृहे वत्सं द्विजन्मा यस्तु वाहयेत् । पतन्ति पितरस्तस्य ब्रह्मकोकगता अपि

Transliteration

jātaṃ tu svagṛhe vatsaṃ dvijanmā yastu vāhayet | patanti pitarastasya brahmakokagatā api

Translation

Si un deux-fois-né fait peiner le veau nouveau-né dans sa propre maison, on dit que ses ancêtres chutent, quand bien même ils auraient atteint Brahmaloka.

Word by Word

• जातम्: born
• जातम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः, नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्म-विशेषणम्

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrast/emphasis)

• स्वगृहे: in one’s own house
• स्वगृहे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + गृह (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुष-समासः (स्वस्य गृहः)

• वत्सम्: calf
• वत्सम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• द्विजन्मा: a twice-born (Brāhmaṇa etc.)
• द्विजन्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुष-समासः (द्वे जन्मनी यस्य/द्वितीयं जन्म उपनयनात्)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात

• वाहयेत्: should make (it) carry / should yoke
• वाहयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; causative sense in usage

• पतन्ति: fall
• पतन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथम-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• पितरः: the ancestors
• पितरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• ब्रह्मकोकगता: gone to Brahma-loka
• ब्रह्मकोकगता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्म + कोक + गत (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘गत’; तत्पुरुष-समासः (ब्रह्मकोके गता = gone to Brahma-loka)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (also/even)

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (Revākhaṇḍa narrative voice; likely a Purāṇic narrator addressing a listener within Revā-māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-associated pitṛ-dharma (general)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A twice-born householder is shown about to commit an improper act with a newborn calf; above, luminous pitṛs in Brahmaloka begin to dim and descend, illustrating the dramatic consequence; a priest figure gestures in prohibition.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Brahmaloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Household actions are portrayed as directly affecting ancestral welfare; negligent or improper conduct can diminish even earned posthumous merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Revā-kṣetra (Narmadā region) within the Revā Khaṇḍa, though this verse itself emphasizes pitṛ-related dharma rather than a named tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A cautionary rule regarding handling/feeding a newly born calf within the home is stated as having karmic impact on the Pitṛs.