Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 105

Devanagari script

स पापात्मा परे लोके गृध्रोच्छिष्टेन जीवति । एवमादीनि पापानि भुञ्जन्ते यमशासनात्

Transliteration

sa pāpātmā pare loke gṛdhrocchiṣṭena jīvati | evamādīni pāpāni bhuñjante yamaśāsanāt

Translation

Cette âme pécheresse, dans l’autre monde, vit des restes laissés par les vautours ; ainsi, selon l’ordonnance de Yama, ils subissent les fruits de tels péchés et d’autres semblables.

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nom, Singular)

• pāpa: sinful
• pāpa: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रातिपदिक (compound member) (Stem used in compound)

• ātmā: sinful person
• ātmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: pāpa + ātmā (Masculine, Nom, Singular; ‘sinful-souled’)

• pare: in the other (next)
• pare: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• loke: world
• loke: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• gṛdhra: vulture
• gṛdhra: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛdhra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रातिपदिक (compound member) (Stem used in compound)

• ucchiṣṭena: with leftovers/filth (of vultures)
• ucchiṣṭena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ucchiṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: gṛdhra + ucchiṣṭena (Neuter, Instrumental, Singular; ‘with vulture-leavings’)

• jīvati: lives
• jīvati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jīv (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Present, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada)

• evam: thus
• evam: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• ādīni: such and similar
• ādīni: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः: evam + ādīni (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Plural; ‘beginning with thus’, i.e., ‘such as these’)

• pāpāni: sins
• pāpāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (Neuter, Acc, Plural)

• bhuñjante: experience/suffer
• bhuñjante: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhuj (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद (Present, 3rd person, Plural, Ātmanepada)

• yama: Yama
• yama: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रातिपदिक (compound member) (Stem used in compound)

• śāsanāt: by Yama’s decree
• śāsanāt: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु-अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāsana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: yama + śāsanāt (Neuter, Ablative, Singular; ‘from/by Yama’s ordinance’)

Speaker

Unspecified (Revākhaṇḍa narration; speaker not stated in the provided excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bleak otherworld scene where a sinner crouches, forced to eat scraps abandoned by vultures; Yama’s attendants stand watch; atmosphere of disgust and despair.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Gṛdhra (vulture)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Actions ripen into experience after death; Yama’s order ensures that sin is repaid with fitting suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter’s setting is tied to Śuklatīrtha in Revākhaṇḍa, but this verse specifically describes post-mortem consequences rather than the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is given; the implied prescription is to avoid pāpa and follow dharma.