Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 103

Devanagari script

शाल्मलीं तेऽवगूहन्ति परदाररता हि ये । परस्य योषितं हृत्वा ब्रह्मस्वमपहृत्य च

Transliteration

śālmalīṃ te'vagūhanti paradāraratā hi ye | parasya yoṣitaṃ hṛtvā brahmasvamapahṛtya ca

Translation

Ceux qui s’attachent à l’épouse d’autrui sont contraints d’étreindre le Śālmalī, l’arbre aux épines; de même, ceux qui enlèvent la femme d’un autre et ceux qui dérobent le bien des brāhmaṇas (brahma-sva) sont poussés vers ce supplice.

Word by Word

• śālmalīm: the śālmalī tree (silk-cotton tree)
• śālmalīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śālmalī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Feminine, Acc, Singular)

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nom, Plural)

• avagūhanti: hide/cover (themselves)
• avagūhanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava√gūh (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद (Present, 3rd person, Plural, Parasmaipada)

• para: another’s
• para: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रातिपदिक (compound member) (Stem used in compound)

• dāra: wife
• dāra: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (compound member) (Masculine stem, used in compound; ‘wife’)

• ratāḥ: attached to others’ wives
• ratāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः: para-dāra + ratāḥ (Masculine, Nom, Plural; determinative compound)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nom, Plural)

• parasya: of another
• parasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular)

• yoṣitam: woman
• yoṣitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoṣit (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Feminine, Acc, Singular)

• hṛtvā: having taken/abducted
• hṛtvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √hṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय (Gerund, Indeclinable)

• brahmasvam: Brahmin’s property
• brahmasvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + sva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: brahman + svam (Neuter, Acc, Singular; ‘property of a Brahmin/Brahman’)

• apahṛtya: having stolen/robbed
• apahṛtya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: apa√hṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय (Gerund, Indeclinable)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced from Purāṇic narration style within Āvantya Khaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A gigantic Śālmalī tree bristling with long thorns; sinners compelled to clasp it, bodies pierced; Yama’s attendants drive them; the tree stands like a living instrument of retribution.

Characters & Entities

• Śālmalī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It warns that sexual misconduct (paradāra) and violating sacred trust (brahma-sva) are grave adharma leading to severe karmic consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within the Revā Khaṇḍa (Narmadā/Revā Māhātmya) context, where the Revā river-region is the sacred geography backdrop, though this specific line focuses on moral consequence rather than naming a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is prescribed in this verse; it is a dharma-śikṣā statement describing the fruit of adharma.