Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । पूर्वजन्मनि विप्रेन्द्र किं त्वया दुष्कृतं कृतम् । येन कष्टमिदं प्राप्तं सन्धानं शूलगर्हितम्

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | pūrvajanmani viprendra kiṃ tvayā duṣkṛtaṃ kṛtam | yena kaṣṭamidaṃ prāptaṃ sandhānaṃ śūlagarhitam

Translation

Les sages dirent : « Ô le plus éminent des brāhmaṇas, quel acte fautif as-tu commis dans une naissance antérieure, pour que t’échoie cette épreuve — ce cruel empalement sur le pieu ? »

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पूर्व-जन्मनि: in a former birth
• पूर्व-जन्मनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• विप्र-इन्द्र: O best of brāhmaṇas
• विप्र-इन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• दुष्कृतम्: evil deed
• दुष्कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कृतम्: done/committed
• कृतम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृत-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP/कृतप्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भाव (done)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कष्टम्: suffering, hardship
• कष्टम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying कष्टम्)

• प्राप्तम्: has been obtained/come upon
• प्राप्तम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्राप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि (obtained)

• सन्धानम्: piercing/impalement; fastening
• सन्धानम्: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्धान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• शूल-गर्हितम्: censured/connected with the stake (śūla)
• शूल-गर्हितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शूल (प्रातिपदिक) + गर्हित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying सन्धानम्)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (Narmadā region)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Māṇḍavya (addressed as viprendra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of sages approaches a serene ascetic impaled on a śūla (stake), forest hermitage backdrop; their faces show alarm and compassion while he remains composed.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Māṇḍavya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic storytelling often frames severe suffering as karmic fruition, prompting self-inquiry and moral clarity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it is a narrative question within the Revā Khaṇḍa discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an inquiry into karmic causation behind affliction.