Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

ये हि दृष्कटतकर्म्माणो न कुर्वंति च निष्कृतिम् । दुर्दशां प्रप्नुवन्त्येते यथैवेन्द्रः शतक्रतुः

Transliteration

ye hi dṛṣkaṭatakarmmāṇo na kurvaṃti ca niṣkṛtim | durdaśāṃ prapnuvantyete yathaivendraḥ śatakratuḥ

Translation

Ceux qui commettent de lourdes fautes et pourtant n’accomplissent pas l’expiation tombent dans la détresse—ainsi qu’Indra, Śatakratu, l’auteur de cent sacrifices.

Word by Word

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद्)
• Form: Relative Pronoun, Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: null
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (हि)
• Form: Particle

• duṣkṛta-karmāṇaḥ: those of evil deeds
• duṣkṛta-karmāṇaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duṣkṛta-karman (दुष्कृत-कर्मन्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural. (Note: Text has 'dṛṣkaṭata', corrected to 'duṣkṛta')

• na: not
• na: null
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (न)
• Form: Negative Particle

• kurvanti: do/perform
• kurvanti: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ)
• Form: Lat Lakara (Present), Parasmaipada, Prathama Purusha (3rd), Plural

• ca: and
• ca: null
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (च)
• Form: Conjunction

• niṣkṛtim: atonement/expiation
• niṣkṛtim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niṣkṛti (निष्कृति)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• durdaśām: bad state/misfortune
• durdaśām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: durdaśā (दुर्दशा)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• prāpnuvanti: obtain/reach
• prāpnuvanti: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prāp (प्राप्)
• Form: Lat Lakara (Present), Parasmaipada, Prathama Purusha (3rd), Plural

• ete: these
• ete: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (एतद्)
• Form: Pronoun, Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• yathā: just as
• yathā: Kriya-Visheshana (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (यथा)
• Form: Adverb

• eva: indeed
• eva: null
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (एव)
• Form: Particle

• indraḥ: Indra
• indraḥ: Upamana (Standard of Comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra (इन्द्र)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• śatakratuḥ: performer of a hundred sacrifices
• śatakratuḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śatakratu (शतक्रतु)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages headed by Śaunaka

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta concludes with a universal maxim: wrongdoers who skip expiation fall into misery; Indra’s figure appears as an illustrative shadow behind the teaching.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Śatakratu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wrongdoing must be met with sincere expiation; otherwise suffering intensifies and becomes prolonged.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra’s broader Mahatmya frames the discourse, but the verse itself is a general dharma rule using Indra as an example.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Niṣkṛti/prāyaścitta is prescribed in principle, without specifying a particular rite in this verse.