Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

गतिरूर्ध्वा च धर्मेण ह्यधर्मेण त्वधोगतिः । जायते सर्ववर्णानां स्वधर्मचलनान्नृप

Transliteration

gatirūrdhvā ca dharmeṇa hyadharmeṇa tvadhogatiḥ | jāyate sarvavarṇānāṃ svadharmacalanānnṛpa

Translation

Par le dharma, la marche est ascendante ; mais par l’adharma, elle est descendante. Pour tous les ordres, ô Roi, de tels destins naissent de l’écart au devoir propre.

Word by Word

• गतिः: movement/destiny
• गतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• ऊर्ध्वा: upward
• ऊर्ध्वा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘गतिः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• धर्मेण: by/through dharma
• धर्मेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• अधर्मेण: by/through adharma
• अधर्मेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विरोध/विभेदबोधक (adversative particle)

• अधोगतिः: downward movement/fall
• अधोगतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधस् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (अधः + गतिः)

• जायते: arises/is born
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• सर्ववर्णानाम्: of all social classes
• सर्ववर्णानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी बहुवचन (Genitive plural); कर्मधारय (सर्वे वर्णाः)

• स्वधर्मचलनात्: from deviation from one’s own duty
• स्वधर्मचलनात्: Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + चलन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी एकवचन (Ablative singular); तत्पुरुष (स्वधर्मस्य चलनम्)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचन (Vocative singular)

Speaker

Unspecified (teacher voice addressing a king, 'nṛpa')

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king receiving counsel from a sage: two paths depicted—an ascending luminous path marked ‘dharma’ and a descending shadowed path marked ‘adharma’; figures of different varṇas shown choosing paths.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Karmic ascent or fall is determined by adherence to dharma; abandoning svadharma becomes a cause of spiritual decline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not directly; it supports the chapter’s later praise of Narakeśvara Tīrtha on the Narmadā as a means of uplift.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated; the prescription is ethical—steadfastness in svadharma.