Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

इह मानुष्यके लोके दीनान्धाश्च भवन्ति ते । देवब्रह्मस्वहर्त्ःणां नराणां पापकर्मणाम्

Transliteration

iha mānuṣyake loke dīnāndhāśca bhavanti te | devabrahmasvahartḥṇāṃ narāṇāṃ pāpakarmaṇām

Translation

Ici, dans le monde des hommes, ils deviennent misérables et aveugles : ces pécheurs qui dérobent les biens appartenant aux dieux et aux brahmanes.

Word by Word

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• मानुष्यके: human
• मानुष्यके: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानुष्यक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘लोके’

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• दीनान्धाः: wretched and blind
• दीनान्धाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीन (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (दीनाः च अन्धाः) विशेषण—‘ते’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• भवन्ति: become
• भवन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• देवब्रह्मस्वहर्तॄणाम्: of the stealers of divine and Brahmin property
• देवब्रह्मस्वहर्तॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + ब्रह्मस्व (प्रातिपदिक) + हर्तृ (हृ-धातु, तृ-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (देवस्य ब्रह्मस्वस्य च हर्तारः)

• नराणाम्: of men
• नराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• पापकर्मणाम्: of sinful-deeded (men)
• पापकर्मणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास; विशेषण—‘नराणाम्’

Speaker

Deductive: Skanda (Kārttikeya) narrating within Āvantya Khaṇḍa’s Reva Khaṇḍa frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral-contrast scene: a temple treasury/altar with offerings on one side; a thief figure taking deva-dravya; on the other side, the same person reborn as a poor, blind wanderer led by a stick—illustrating karmic return in the human realm.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Misappropriating sacred or consecrated wealth (devadravya, brahmasva) is a grave adharma that rebounds as suffering even in human birth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Reva Khaṇḍa broadly centers on the Revā/Narmadā sacred corridor; this verse is ethical-legal instruction rather than site-glorification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is stated; the implied prescription is non-stealing, restitution, and protection of temple and Brahmin endowments.