Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

अकामतोऽपि सर्वेषां पातकानि नराधिप । ब्राह्मणानां तु ते श्रुत्वा वाक्यं तद्विस्मयान्विताः

Transliteration

akāmato'pi sarveṣāṃ pātakāni narādhipa | brāhmaṇānāṃ tu te śrutvā vākyaṃ tadvismayānvitāḥ

Translation

Ô roi, même sans intention, les péchés atteignent tous les êtres. Mais, ayant entendu les paroles des brāhmanes, ils furent saisis d’émerveillement.

Word by Word

• अकामतः: unwillingly
• अकामतः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अ + कामतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निःकामभावे (adverb: unwillingly)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थ (even)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all (persons)
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; genitive (of all)

• पातकानि: sins
• पातकानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• नराधिप: O king/lord of men
• नराधिप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नराणाम् अधिपः)

• ब्राह्मणानाम्: of the Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणानाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; genitive

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विशेष/विरोधार्थक

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

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya (Non-finite verbal/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रुत्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): having heard

• वाक्यम्: statement/words
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (to वाक्यम्)

• विस्मय-अन्विताः: filled with amazement
• विस्मय-अन्विताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विस्मय + अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष/उपपद (विस्मयेन अन्विताः = endowed with astonishment)

Speaker

Narrator addressing a king (Narādhipa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā (Revā) tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: narādhipa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king addressed (narādhipa) while brāhmaṇas speak; listeners’ faces show astonishment; riverbank assembly with ritual implements and manuscripts.

Characters & Entities

• Narādhipa (King)
• Brāhmaṇāḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human life is prone to fault—even unintended—so dharma relies on authoritative teaching and purifying means like tīrtha and prāyaścitta.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā tīrtha context continues, though the verse itself highlights the discourse setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it emphasizes śravaṇa (hearing) of brāhmaṇic instruction within the tīrtha narrative.