Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

पुण्यकर्मफल स्वर्गो नरकस्तद्विपर्ययः । तयोर्द्वावधिपौ धात्रा कृतौ शतमखांतकौ

Transliteration

puṇyakarmaphala svargo narakastadviparyayaḥ | tayordvāvadhipau dhātrā kṛtau śatamakhāṃtakau

Translation

ಪುಣ್ಯಕರ್ಮದ ಫಲ ಸ್ವರ್ಗ; ಅದರ ವಿರುದ್ಧ ನರಕ. ಈ ಎರಡರ ಮೇಲೂ ಧಾತೃ (ವಿಧಾತೃ) ‘ಶತಮಖಾಂತಕ’ ಎಂಬ ಇಬ್ಬರು ಅಧಿಪತಿಗಳನ್ನು ನೇಮಿಸಿದನು.

Word by Word

• पुण्य-कर्म-फलम्: the fruit of meritorious action
• पुण्य-कर्म-फलम्: Karta/Subject (in equational sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• स्वर्गः: heaven
• स्वर्गः: Predicate nominal (सम्बन्ध/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• नरकः: hell
• नरकः: Karta/Subject (in equational sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• तत्-विपर्ययः: its opposite (i.e., opposite of heaven)
• तत्-विपर्ययः: Predicate nominal (सम्बन्ध/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + विपर्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• तयोः: of those two (heaven and hell)
• तयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Genitive, Dual)

• द्वौ: two
• द्वौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Dual)

• अधिपौ: lords, rulers
• अधिपौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Dual)

• धात्रा: by the Creator (Dhātṛ)
• धात्रा: Karana (Instrument/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

• कृतौ: made, created
• कृतौ: Predicate (state/result)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle) 'कृत'; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Dual)

• शतमख-अन्तकौ: the two slayers of Śatamakha (Indra)
• शतमख-अन्तकौ: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतमख (प्रातिपदिक; इन्द्र) + अन्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ('शतमखस्य अन्तकौ'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Dual)

Speaker

Brahmā/Dhātṛ (deduced from 'dhātrā'; speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic court scene: Dhātṛ (Creator) enthroned, indicating two vast realms—svarga above with luminous devas and naraka below with dark guardians; two stern figures titled ‘śatamakha-antakau’ stand as appointed rulers over the two domains.

Characters & Entities

• Svarga
• Naraka
• Dhātṛ
• Śatamakhāntaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Afterlife realms are portrayed as structured outcomes of karma—svarga for puṇya, naraka for pāpa—within a divinely governed order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is mentioned; the verse concerns cosmic moral governance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it emphasizes that actions determine post-mortem experience.