Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

मम वा दुष्कृतं किंचिदुताहो भवतामिह । येन नष्टोऽग्निशालायां हुतभुक्केन हेतुना

Transliteration

mama vā duṣkṛtaṃ kiṃcidutāho bhavatāmiha | yena naṣṭo'gniśālāyāṃ hutabhukkena hetunā

Translation

「私に何か罪過があるのか、それともここにいるあなた方に過ちがあるのか。ゆえに火堂において火神が姿を消したのか。いかなる理由でこうなったのか。」

Word by Word

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• वा: or
• वा: Disjunction (विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; विकल्पार्थक-निपातः (disjunctive particle)

• दुष्कृतम्: misdeed
• दुष्कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्कृत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त; √कृ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• किंचित्: something
• किंचित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (निपात)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; अनिश्चितार्थक (indefinite)

• उत: or else
• उत: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; विकल्प/समुच्चय-निपातः; ‘or else’

• अहो: indeed / alas
• अहो: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; विस्मय/सम्बोधन-निपातः (exclamatory particle)

• भवताम्: of you (honored ones)
• भवताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्; आदरार्थ-प्रयोगः (honorific)

• इह: here
• इह: Desha-adhikarana (Place/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; देशवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम् (locative adverb)

• येन: by which (cause)
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्ध-प्रश्न/हेतु-निर्देशः

• नष्टः: has disappeared
• नष्टः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नष्ट (कृदन्त; √नश्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; कर्तरि-प्रयोगे ‘has perished/vanished’

• अग्निशालायाम्: in the fire-hall
• अग्निशालायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + शाला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचनम्; समासः: अग्नेः शाला (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• हुतभुक्: the fire (consumer of offerings)
• हुतभुक्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हुत (कृदन्त; √हु) + भुज् (धातु; ‘to eat’) → भुक् (प्रातिपदिक-रूप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; समासः: हुतं भुङ्क्ते इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष) = ‘fire’

• केन: by what
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचनम्

• हेतुना: by a reason
• हेतुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Rājā (the king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇas/ṛtviks

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, anxious yet sincere, asks whether his own misdeed or that of the officiants caused Agni’s withdrawal; the fire-pit appears empty or faint, as if the deity has receded.

Characters & Entities

• Agni (Hutabhuk)
• Rājā
• Brāhmaṇas
• Agniśālā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual efficacy is tied to ethical integrity; when sacred order falters, self-examination for duṣkṛta is a dharmic first step.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to the Revā Khaṇḍa milieu (Narmadā sacred landscape); this verse centers on the yajña setting (agniśālā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, maintain ritual and moral purity so that Agni remains ‘present’—a prerequisite for yajña completion.