Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

मातापितृकृतैर्दोषैरन्ये केचित्स्वकर्मजैः । नष्टा ज्ञानावलेपेन अहङ्कारेणऽपरे

Transliteration

mātāpitṛkṛtairdoṣairanye kecitsvakarmajaiḥ | naṣṭā jñānāvalepena ahaṅkāreṇa'pare

Translation

ചിലർ മാതാപിതാക്കൾ ചെയ്ത ദോഷങ്ങളാൽ നശിക്കുന്നു; ചിലർ സ്വന്തം കർമ്മജന്യ ദോഷങ്ങളാൽ. മറ്റുചിലർ ജ്ഞാനാഭിമാനത്താൽ, ചിലർ അഹങ്കാരത്താൽ വിനശിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• मातापितृकृतैः: by (faults) done by mother and father
• मातापितृकृतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक) + पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृ धातु, क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; समासः—मातापितृभ्यां कृतैः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/निर्देशः), विशेषणम् (दोषैः इति)

• दोषैः: by faults
• दोषैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषणप्रायः, कर्तृपदम्

• केचित्: some (people)
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक-सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• स्वकर्मजैः: by those born of one’s own actions (karmic)
• स्वकर्मजैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (जन् धातु, क्तिन्/प्रातिपदिक-निर्माण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; समासः—स्वकर्मणः जातैः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष), विशेषणम् (दोषैः इति)

• नष्टाः: ruined, destroyed
• नष्टाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नष्ट (नश् धातु, क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle), कर्तृसम्बन्धे विशेषणम् (अन्ये/केचित्/अपरे)

• ज्ञानावलेपेन: by pride of knowledge
• ज्ञानावलेपेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + अवलेप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; समासः—ज्ञानस्य अवलेपः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• अहङ्कारेण: by egoism
• अहङ्कारेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहङ्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• अपरे: others (another group)
• अपरे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; कर्तृपदम् (नष्टाः इति)

Speaker

Śaṅkara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (general)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at the riverbank sees four shadow-figures labeled: parental faults, self-born karma, pride of learning, and ego—each tugging at him; a calm Śiva-linga or ascetic guide points inward to the heart.

Characters & Entities

• Mātā
• Pitṛ
• Jñāna
• Ahaṅkāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Downfall can arise from inherited conditions, one’s own karma, or inner vices like pride and ego—hence humility and self-purification are essential.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is specified; the verse offers general moral diagnosis within the Revā Khaṇḍa teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; it implicitly urges removal of ego and pride to make vrata/tapas fruitful.