Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 106

Devanagari script

कथं निरयगामित्वं कितवस्य भविष्यति । येन दत्तो ह्यगस्त्याय गज ऐरावतो महान्

Transliteration

kathaṃ nirayagāmitvaṃ kitavasya bhaviṣyati | yena datto hyagastyāya gaja airāvato mahān

Translation

«Comment ce joueur pourrait-il être voué à l’enfer, alors que c’est lui qui offrit au sage Agastya le grand éléphant Airāvata ?»

Word by Word

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

• निरयगामित्वम्: going to hell; hell-going
• निरयगामित्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरय-गामित्व (प्रातिपदिक; गम् (धातु) + -इत्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (निरयम् गच्छति इति)

• कितवस्य: of the gambler
• कितवस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कितव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• येन: by whom/whereby
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-प्रयोग (relative)

• दत्तः: was given
• दत्तः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) → दत्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे मुख्यक्रियासदृश

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• अगस्त्याय: to Agastya
• अगस्त्याय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन

• गजः: the elephant
• गजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ऐरावतः: Airāvata
• ऐरावतः: Visheshya (Apposition/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐरावत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• महान्: great
• महान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Citragupta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A repentant yet wealthy gambler offers the majestic Airāvata elephant to sage Agastya; onlookers marvel as the act eclipses his former vice.

Characters & Entities

• Citragupta
• Kitava
• Agastya
• Airāvata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great acts of charity create powerful merit that must be weighed against wrongdoing in the karmic balance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedārakhaṇḍa is the framework; this verse highlights dāna-mahima connected to the sage Agastya rather than a location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna is implied—gifting a magnificent offering (Airāvata) to a sage as a high form of merit.