Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

मरणांतो विधिः कार्यो कामेन हि कृतेन हि । अज्ञानजनिते पापे प्रायश्चित्तं विधीयते

Transliteration

maraṇāṃto vidhiḥ kāryo kāmena hi kṛtena hi | ajñānajanite pāpe prāyaścittaṃ vidhīyate

Translation

Pour l’acte accompli de propos délibéré, l’ordonnance va jusqu’à la mort (la peine la plus grave). Mais pour le péché né de l’ignorance, l’expiation est prescrite.

Word by Word

• मरणान्तः: ending with death
• मरणान्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मरण + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मरणस्य अन्तः) — 'ending with death'

• विधिः: rule/observance
• विधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• कार्यः: must be performed
• कार्यः: Kriya (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (यत्); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; 'to be done/required'

• कामेन: with desire/intent
• कामेन: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात

• कृतेन: when/if committed
• कृतेन: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन; 'by what is done/when done' (instrumental)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात

• अज्ञानजनिते: in (a sin) produced by ignorance
• अज्ञानजनिते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अज्ञानजनित (प्रातिपदिक: अज्ञान + जनित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (अज्ञानात् जनितम्)

• पापे: in sin
• पापे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: expiation
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• विधीयते: is prescribed
• विधीयते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + धा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि (passive)

Speaker

Bṛhaspati

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A penitent stands waist-deep in icy water beneath towering snowy peaks, while a sage pronounces that willful sin may require penance unto death; the sky is overcast, emphasizing gravity.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhaspati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Willful wrongdoing is treated as spiritually and socially most grave, while ignorance-born faults allow structured purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is doctrinal and does not name a tīrtha, though it belongs to the Kedārakhaṇḍa sacred geography narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It contrasts a ‘death-ending ordinance’ for deliberate sin with prāyaścitta for ignorance-born sin; no specific rite is enumerated.