Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

कथं ते नाम पापानि प्रकुर्वंति नराधमाः । मरणांतरिता येषां नरके तीव्रवेदना

Transliteration

kathaṃ te nāma pāpāni prakurvaṃti narādhamāḥ | maraṇāṃtaritā yeṣāṃ narake tīvravedanā

Translation

«Comment ces hommes vils peuvent-ils commettre des péchés, alors qu’après la mort les attend en enfer une douleur ardente ?», dit-elle.

Word by Word

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

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

• नाम: indeed / ever
• नाम: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis/colloquial intensifier)

• पापानि: sins
• पापानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), बहुवचन

• प्रकुर्वन्ति: commit / do
• प्रकुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र- कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• नराधमाः: the vilest of men
• नराधमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + अधम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), बहुवचन; षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-भावे तत्पुरुष (नराणाम् अधमाः / अधमा नराः)

• मरणान्तरिताः: (who are) after death / separated by death
• मरणान्तरिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मरण + अन्तरित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-आधारित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुष (मरणेन अन्तरिताः = death-intervened/after death)

• येषाम्: of whom
• येषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रश्न/यत्-सम्बन्ध

• नरके: in hell
• नरके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• तीव्रवेदना: severe pain
• तीव्रवेदना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीव्र + वेदना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (तीव्रा वेदना)

Speaker

Nakula (mongoose)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The speaker paints a moral contrast: vile men committing sin despite the certainty of fierce hell-torment after death; the sage listens, the background subtly hints at naraka imagery (flames, dark river) without becoming the main scene.

Characters & Entities

• Naraka (hell)
• Narādhamas (vile men)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Actions have consequences beyond death; awareness of karma-phala restrains adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is mentioned; the verse emphasizes moral causality rather than sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the implied prescription is avoidance of pāpa through dharmic conduct.