Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

दुर्बलवृषवाही यः कटिलूती भवेत्स च

Transliteration

durbalavṛṣavāhī yaḥ kaṭilūtī bhavetsa ca

Translation

Barangsiapa membebani atau memaksa lembu yang lemah, ia terlahir kembali sebagai kaṭilūtī, makhluk hina yang merayap seperti parasit.

Word by Word

• दुर्बल-वृष-वाही: one who carries a weak bull
• दुर्बल-वृष-वाही: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्बल (प्रातिपदिक) + वृष (प्रातिपदिक) + वाहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दुर्बलस्य वृषस्य) + उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (वृषं वहति)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम

• कटि-लूती: a spider at the waist / waist-spider (a deformity/mark)
• कटि-लूती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कटि (प्रातिपदिक) + लूती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कट्याः लूती)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; निर्देश-सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa context)

Characters & Entities

• vṛṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cruelty to vulnerable beings—especially working animals—returns as a degrading rebirth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is mentioned; the verse is a dharma-śikṣā (moral instruction).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it implies compassionate conduct and protection of animals as dharma.