Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

भूय आरोपयेत्तं तु नरं तस्मिन्सपत्रकम् । तुलितो यदि वर्धेत शुद्धो भवति धर्मतः

Transliteration

bhūya āropayettaṃ tu naraṃ tasminsapatrakam | tulito yadi vardheta śuddho bhavati dharmataḥ

Translation

Ensuite, qu’on place de nouveau cet homme sur la balance, avec la feuille. Si, une fois pesé, il devient plus lourd, alors, selon le dharma, il est tenu pour purifié (innocent).

Word by Word

• भूयः: again; further
• भूयः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = पुनः/अधिकम् (adverb: again/more)

• आरोपयेत्: should place/raise (onto the scale)
• आरोपयेत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-रुह् (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन (pronoun: masc. acc. sg.)

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/समुच्चय-भेदक) = तु/परन्तु (particle: but/indeed)

• नरम्: the man
• नरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• तस्मिन्: in/onto that (scale/pan)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन (locative sg.)

• सपत्रकम्: together with the document/leaf (written record)
• सपत्रकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स- (उपसर्ग/सह) + पत्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः = सहपत्रकः (सह-तत्पुरुषः)

• तुलितः: (when) weighed
• तुलितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुल् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थः = तुलितः (weighed)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Condition marker/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/शर्त) = यदि (conditional particle: if)

• वर्धेत: should increase; becomes heavier
• वर्धेत: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृध् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• शुद्धः: pure; cleared (of guilt)
• शुद्धः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भवति: becomes
• भवति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• धर्मतः: according to dharma; legally
• धर्मतः: Hetu/Pramāṇa (Ground/standard/हेतु-प्रमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) = धर्मतः (according to dharma/law)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn ordeal scene: a man stands upon a balance-pan with a leaf; priests and witnesses observe; the beam tilts subtly, indicating increased weight as a sign of vindication.

Characters & Entities

• tulā (balance)
• patra (leaf)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Truth is to be established through prescribed dharmic means; the community must accept the outcome as dharma’s decision.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is specified; the verse is procedural.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Re-seat the accused on the balance with the mantra-leaf; if the measured outcome shows increase, he is declared purified/innocent.