Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

श्रुतिस्मृत्युदितं धर्मं त्यक्त्वा यथेच्छाचारसेविनः । अष्टाविंशतिर्वै कोट्यो नरकाणां युधिष्ठिर

Transliteration

śrutismṛtyuditaṃ dharmaṃ tyaktvā yathecchācārasevinaḥ | aṣṭāviṃśatirvai koṭyo narakāṇāṃ yudhiṣṭhira

Translation

Wahai Yudhiṣṭhira, mereka yang meninggalkan dharma yang diwartakan dalam Śruti dan Smṛti lalu mengikuti laku menurut selera pribadi, jatuh ke dalam dua puluh delapan krore neraka.

Word by Word

• श्रुतिस्मृत्युदितम्: declared in śruti and smṛti
• श्रुतिस्मृत्युदितम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक) + स्मृति (प्रातिपदिक) + उदित (कृदन्त, √उद्/√वद्?; here ‘said/declared’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; धर्मम् इति विशेषणम्; समासः—श्रुतिस्मृतिभ्याम् उदितम् (declared in śruti and smṛti)

• धर्मम्: dharma, righteous duty
• धर्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having abandoned’

• यथेच्छाचारसेविनः: those who follow conduct as they please
• यथेच्छाचारसेविनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + इच्छा (प्रातिपदिक) + आचार (प्रातिपदिक) + सेविन् (कृदन्त, √सेव्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—यथेच्छः आचारः यस्य/ये (at-will conduct) तस्य सेविनः (followers)

• अष्टाविंशतिः: twenty-eight
• अष्टाविंशतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टाविंशति (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (संख्या), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/खलु-अर्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• कोट्यः: crores (tens of millions)
• कोट्यः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• नरकाणाम्: of hells
• नरकाणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (addressing Yudhiṣṭhira within a Purāṇic discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) context

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene with Yudhiṣṭhira listening to a sage who gestures toward a vast, many-gated underworld labeled as numerous hell-realms; above, a luminous scroll of Śruti and Smṛti shines as the rightful path.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is grounded in Śruti and Smṛti; rejecting it for ‘do-as-you-like’ living leads to severe karmic suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse functions as moral framing inside the Revā/Narmadā Māhātmya; the tirtha focus is the Revā region overall.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the verse prescribes adherence to śruti-smṛti dharma as the guiding rule.