Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

पुष्कसोऽथ दुराचारो वॉक्षादवततार सः । आगत्य जलसंकाशं मत्स्यान्हंतुं प्रचक्रमे

Transliteration

puṣkaso'tha durācāro vaॉkṣādavatatāra saḥ | āgatya jalasaṃkāśaṃ matsyānhaṃtuṃ pracakrame

Translation

Alors Puṣkasa, au comportement dépravé, descendit de l’arbre ; parvenu à l’étendue pareille à l’eau, il se mit à tuer des poissons.

Word by Word

• पुष्कसः: the outcaste (Puṣkasa)
• पुष्कसः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (conjunctive/then)

• दुराचारः: a wicked man / of bad conduct
• दुराचारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुराचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वृक्षात्: from the tree
• वृक्षात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• अवततार: descended
• अवततार: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-तॄ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (pronoun)

• आगत्य: having come
• आगत्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘having come’

• जलसंकाशम्: water-like / resembling water
• जलसंकाशम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जल + संकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• मत्स्यान्: fish
• मत्स्यान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्स्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Plural)

• हन्तुम्: to kill
• हन्तुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), ‘to kill’

• प्रचक्रमे: set about / began
• प्रचक्रमे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa convention)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis at Naimiṣāraṇya (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wicked hunter (Puṣkasa) descends from a tree at dusk, approaches a shimmering water-spread, and begins striking fish; the sacred Himalayan wilderness looms silently, hinting at unseen divine witness.

Characters & Entities

• Puṣkasa
• Fish (matsya)
• Tree (vṛkṣa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Harmful acts (hiṃsā), especially in a sacred landscape, are portrayed as spiritually perilous and karmically weighty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra setting (Kedārakhaṇḍa), where conduct is measured against the sanctity of place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None—this verse narrates the beginning of an unrighteous act (killing fish).