Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

मृतः शुनत्वं चाप्नोति वर्षाणां तु शतत्रयम् । ततस्तस्य क्षये जाते काकयोनिं व्रजेत्पुनः

Transliteration

mṛtaḥ śunatvaṃ cāpnoti varṣāṇāṃ tu śatatrayam | tatastasya kṣaye jāte kākayoniṃ vrajetpunaḥ

Translation

Après la mort, il obtient l’état de chien durant trois cents ans ; puis, ce terme épuisé, il retourne naître dans le ventre d’un corbeau.

Word by Word

• मृतः: dead
• मृतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √मृ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• शुनत्वम्: dog-hood / the state of being a dog
• शुनत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुनत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वर्षाणाम्: of years
• वर्षाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• तु: but / indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Emphasis (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषण-अव्यय (particle)

• शतत्रयम्: three hundred
• शतत्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतत्रय (प्रातिपदिक: शत + त्रय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रीणि शतानि)

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादान/क्रम-वाचक-अव्यय (adverb: thereafter/from that)

• तस्य: of him/that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• क्षये: at the end / upon exhaustion
• क्षये: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• जाते: when it has occurred
• जाते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √जन् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• काकयोनिम्: the womb/species of a crow
• काकयोनिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काकयोनि (प्रातिपदिक: काक + योनि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (काकस्य योनि:)

• व्रजेत्: would go / should go
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्ति-वाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

The woman (nārī) speaking (continuing the warning)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrative tableau of the soul’s post-mortem descent: shadowy transition into dog-form for centuries, then crow-womb rebirth, overseen by the moral law of karma.

Characters & Entities

• Dog (śun)
• Crow (kāka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma texts use vivid rebirth imagery to warn against grievous wrongdoing and to urge protection of life and righteous choice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is named in this verse; it remains within the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes karmic outcomes (animal births) as a deterrent.