Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

ये पुनः शास्त्रमुत्सृज्य कामलोभप्रपीडिताः । प्रायश्चित्तं वदिष्यन्ति ते वै निरयगामिनः

Transliteration

ye punaḥ śāstramutsṛjya kāmalobhaprapīḍitāḥ | prāyaścittaṃ vadiṣyanti te vai nirayagāminaḥ

Translation

എന്നാൽ ശാസ്ത്രാധികാരം ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച് കാമലോഭങ്ങളാൽ പീഡിതരായി പ്രായശ്ചിത്തങ്ങൾ സ്വയം കൽപ്പിച്ച് പ്രസ്താവിക്കുന്നവർ—അവർ തീർച്ചയായും നിരയഗാമികൾ (നരകഗാമികൾ) ആകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक सर्वनाम

• पुनः: however/further
• पुनः: Nipata (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति/पुनरावृत्तिवाचक (again/furthermore)

• शास्त्रम्: scripture/teaching
• शास्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• उत्सृज्य: having abandoned
• उत्सृज्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-सृज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• काम: desire
• काम: Samasa-purvapada (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपदम्

• लोभ: greed
• लोभ: Samasa-purvapada (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपदम्

• प्रपीडिताः: afflicted/oppressed
• प्रपीडिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-पीड् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (ये)

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: expiation
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वदिष्यन्ति: will speak/declare
• वदिष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Nipata (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक निपात (indeed/surely)

• निरयगामिनः: goers to hell
• निरयगामिनः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरय-गामिन् (प्रातिपदिक; निरय + गामिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (निरयं गच्छन्ति इति)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from adhyāya-context)

Characters & Entities

• Śāstra
• Prāyaścitta
• Niraya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Religious remedies must be grounded in śāstra; desire-driven, self-serving distortions of Dharma bring spiritual downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The warning is delivered within the Brahmatīrtha glorification context of Revā-khaṇḍa, though this verse itself is ethical rather than geographical.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not invent prāyaścitta; follow śāstra-prescribed expiations.