Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

भूय आरोपयेत्तं तु नरं तस्मिन्सपत्रकम् । तुलितो यदि वर्धेत शुद्धो भवति धर्मतः

Transliteration

bhūya āropayettaṃ tu naraṃ tasminsapatrakam | tulito yadi vardheta śuddho bhavati dharmataḥ

Translation

ಆ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿಯನ್ನು ಆ ಪತ್ರದೊಡನೆ ಮತ್ತೆ ತ್ರಾಸಿನಲ್ಲಿ ನಿಲ್ಲಿಸಬೇಕು. ತೂಕಮಾಡಿದಾಗ ಅವನ ತೂಕ ಹೆಚ್ಚಾದರೆ, ಧರ್ಮಪ್ರಕಾರ ಅವನು ಶುದ್ಧನು (ನಿರ್ದೋಷಿ) ಎಂದು ಎಣಿಸಲ್ಪಡುತ್ತಾನೆ.

Word by Word

• भूयः: again; further
• भूयः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = पुनः/अधिकम् (adverb: again/more)

• आरोपयेत्: should place/raise (onto the scale)
• आरोपयेत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-रुह् (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन (pronoun: masc. acc. sg.)

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/समुच्चय-भेदक) = तु/परन्तु (particle: but/indeed)

• नरम्: the man
• नरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• तस्मिन्: in/onto that (scale/pan)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन (locative sg.)

• सपत्रकम्: together with the document/leaf (written record)
• सपत्रकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स- (उपसर्ग/सह) + पत्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः = सहपत्रकः (सह-तत्पुरुषः)

• तुलितः: (when) weighed
• तुलितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुल् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थः = तुलितः (weighed)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Condition marker/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/शर्त) = यदि (conditional particle: if)

• वर्धेत: should increase; becomes heavier
• वर्धेत: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृध् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• शुद्धः: pure; cleared (of guilt)
• शुद्धः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भवति: becomes
• भवति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• धर्मतः: according to dharma; legally
• धर्मतः: Hetu/Pramāṇa (Ground/standard/हेतु-प्रमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) = धर्मतः (according to dharma/law)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn ordeal scene: a man stands upon a balance-pan with a leaf; priests and witnesses observe; the beam tilts subtly, indicating increased weight as a sign of vindication.

Characters & Entities

• tulā (balance)
• patra (leaf)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Truth is to be established through prescribed dharmic means; the community must accept the outcome as dharma’s decision.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is specified; the verse is procedural.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Re-seat the accused on the balance with the mantra-leaf; if the measured outcome shows increase, he is declared purified/innocent.