Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

पतनं जायते पुंसां नरके कालसूत्रके । तत्रत्या यातना घोरा विहिता शास्त्रकर्तृभिः

Transliteration

patanaṃ jāyate puṃsāṃ narake kālasūtrake | tatratyā yātanā ghorā vihitā śāstrakartṛbhiḥ

Translation

മനുഷ്യർ കാലസൂത്രക എന്ന നരകത്തിലേക്ക് പതിക്കുന്നു. അവിടെയുള്ള ഭയങ്കര യാതനകൾ ശാസ്ത്രകർത്താക്കൾ നിശ്ചയിച്ചവയാണ്.

Word by Word

• patanam: falling/downfall
• patanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: patana (प्रातिपदिक; √pat/पत् ‘to fall’ इत्यस्मात् भाव-नाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• jāyate: arises
• jāyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jan (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; ‘is born/arises’

• puṃsām: of men
• puṃsām: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pumān (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धे

• narake: in hell
• narake: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• kālasūtrake: in (the hell called) Kālasūtraka
• kālasūtrake: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla + sūtraka (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/षष्ठीभाव: ‘kāla-sūtraka’ नाम नरकविशेषः); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; नरके विशेषण-रूपेण

• tatratyā: there (belonging to that place)
• tatratyā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tatratya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; यातनां विशेषयति

• yātanā: torment
• yātanā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yātanā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• ghorā: terrible
• ghorā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• vihitā: prescribed
• vihitā: Kriya (Predicative participle/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi + √dhā (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘ordained/laid down’

• śāstrakartṛbhiḥ: by the authors of the scriptures
• śāstrakartṛbhiḥ: Karana/Agent (Instrumental agent/तृतीया-कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāstra + kartṛ (प्रातिपदिके; kartṛ = √kṛ/कृ तृ-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘śāstrasya kartāraḥ’); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; करण/कर्तृ-निर्देशे (agent in passive)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Skanda Purana narrative style within Āvantya Khaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark depiction of Kālasūtra: a dark, iron-lined plane or corridor marked by ‘time-thread’ imagery; sinners falling downward; Yamadūtas enforcing śāstra-ordained punishments; Chitragupta’s record implied.

Characters & Entities

• Kālasūtra (Naraka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śāstra describes karmic consequences: adharma leads to specific, severe results, urging a dharmic life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Revā (Narmadā) Mahātmya, though this verse itself focuses on Naraka consequences rather than a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed here; it frames the authority of śāstra regarding karmic punishment.