Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

अयि जारिणि दुर्बुद्धे किमेतत्ते विचेष्टितम् । अस्मत्कुले सुदुष्कीर्त्तिं कृतवत्यसि बालिशे

Transliteration

ayi jāriṇi durbuddhe kimetatte viceṣṭitam | asmatkule suduṣkīrttiṃ kṛtavatyasi bāliśe

Translation

ಎಲೈ ವ್ಯಭಿಚಾರಿಣಿಯೇ, ದುರ್ಬುದ್ಧಿಯುಳ್ಳವಳೇ! ಇದೇನು ನಿನ್ನ ವರ್ತನೆ? ಎಲೈ ಮೂರ್ಖಳೆ, ನೀನು ನಮ್ಮ ಕುಲಕ್ಕೆ ಘೋರ ಅಪಕೀರ್ತಿಯನ್ನು ತಂದಿರುವೆ.

Word by Word

• अयि: O!
• अयि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अयि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle/interjection)

• जारिणि: O adulteress
• जारिणि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जारिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• दुर्बुद्धे: O evil-minded one
• दुर्बुद्धे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नञ्/दुर्-पूर्वक तत्पुरुषः (दुष्टा बुद्धिः), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (interrogative)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/genitive) एकवचन (enclitic)

• विचेष्टितम्: misdeed; improper act
• विचेष्टितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि + चेष्ट् (धातु) → विचेष्टित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle used as noun)

• अस्मत्-कुले: in our family
• अस्मत्-कुले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम) + कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अस्माकं कुलम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन

• सुदुष्कीर्त्तिम्: very bad fame; great infamy
• सुदुष्कीर्त्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + दुष्कीर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपपद-समास/कर्मधारयः (अतिशयेन दुष्टा कीर्तिः), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• कृतवती: (you) have done; have caused
• कृतवती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृतवत्/कृतवती (कृदन्त, क्तवत्)
• Form: क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद-भावार्थे (perfective ‘having done’)

• असि: are
• असि: Kriya (Verbal action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• बालिशे: O foolish one
• बालिशे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बालिश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सम्बोधन-प्रयोगे स्त्रीलिङ्गेऽपि सम्भवः), सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

Speaker

Grāmavṛddhāḥ (village elders) addressing the young woman (contextual attribution)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tense village courtyard: elders and kinsmen confront a young woman; accusatory gestures, stern faces, the woman lowered in shame; domestic architecture, dust, and gathered onlookers.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Speech and conduct are treated as dharmic responsibilities; causing public scandal (duṣkīrti) is portrayed as a serious moral failing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; the focus is on social-dharmic judgment within a community setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is a rebuke, not a ritual instruction.