Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

पूर्वजास्तस्य नरके पतंत्यग्रे न संततिः । वायुपुत्रं समाहूय ततो रामोऽब्रवीद्वचः

Transliteration

pūrvajāstasya narake pataṃtyagre na saṃtatiḥ | vāyuputraṃ samāhūya tato rāmo'bravīdvacaḥ

Translation

ಅವನ ಪೂರ್ವಜರು ಮೊದಲು ನರಕಕ್ಕೆ ಬೀಳುತ್ತಾರೆ; ಅವನಿಗೆ ಸಂತಾನವಿರುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಆಗ ರಾಮನು ವಾಯುಪುತ್ರನನ್ನು ಕರೆಯಿಸಿ ಈ ವಚನಗಳನ್ನು ಹೇಳಿದರು.

Word by Word

• पूर्वजाः: ancestors, forefathers
• पूर्वजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), बहुवचनम्

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी विभक्तिः (6th/Genitive), एकवचनम्

• नरके: in hell
• नरके: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी विभक्तिः (7th/Locative), एकवचनम्

• पतन्ति: fall
• पतन्ति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), बहुवचनम्; धातुः—पत् (to fall)

• अग्रे: beforehand, first
• अग्रे: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगवत्; अव्ययम् (adverbial locative form) ‘in front/first’

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निषेध-निपातः (negation particle)

• संततिः: progeny, lineage
• संततिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संतति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• वायु-पुत्रम्: the son of Vayu (Hanuman)
• वायु-पुत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक) + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वायोः पुत्रम्)

• समाहूय: having summoned
• समाहूय: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-ह्वा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) ‘having called/summoned’; धातुः—ह्वा (to call) उपसर्गाः—सम्, आ

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अव्यय-प्रयोगः (adverb)

• रामः: Rama
• रामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; धातुः—ब्रू (to speak)

• वचः: words, speech
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; leads into Rāma’s speech)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral tableau: shadowy vision of ancestors falling into a hellish abyss; foreground Rāma turns with resolve and summons Hanumān (Vāyuputra), signaling protective action.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Vāyuputra (Hanumān)
• Ancestors (Pitṛs)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Violating sacred grants and dharmic institutions brings multi-generational harm—affecting both ancestors and descendants.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya-kṣetra is the implied sacred domain whose protection is central to the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed here; the verse states karmic consequences and introduces Rāma’s instruction to Hanumān.