Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

स्वकर्म विहिते घोरे कामक्सोधार्जिते शुभे । निमज्जेन्नरके घोरे यस्योत्तारो न विद्यते

Transliteration

svakarma vihite ghore kāmaksodhārjite śubhe | nimajjennarake ghore yasyottāro na vidyate

Translation

സ്വന്തം കർമ്മങ്ങൾ ഭീകരമാകുമ്പോൾ—‘ശുഭം’ എന്നു തോന്നിയാലും, കാമക്രോധങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നു സമ്പാദിച്ചതായാൽ—മനുഷ്യൻ ഉദ്ധാരമില്ലാത്ത ആ ഘോര നരകത്തിൽ മുങ്ങുന്നു।

Word by Word

• स्वकर्म: one’s own action
• स्वकर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (स्वस्य कर्म)

• विहिते: when prescribed/ordained
• विहिते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-√धा (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग सप्तमी एकवचन; ‘स्वकर्म’ इत्यस्मिन् (locative absolute nuance)

• घोरे: terrible
• घोरे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग सप्तमी एकवचन; ‘विहिते’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• काम: desire
• काम: Samasa-anga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप (समासाङ्ग)

• क्रोध: anger
• क्रोध: Samasa-anga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप (समासाङ्ग)

• अर्जिते: when acquired
• अर्जिते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √अर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग सप्तमी एकवचन; ‘स्वकर्म’ इत्यस्मिन् (locative absolute nuance)

• शुभे: (even) auspicious
• शुभे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग सप्तमी एकवचन; ‘अर्जिते’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• निमज्जेत्: would sink/fall
• निमज्जेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√मज्ज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नरके: in hell
• नरके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन (Locative singular)

• घोरे: terrible
• घोरे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग सप्तमी एकवचन; ‘नरके’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन (Genitive singular)

• उत्तारः: rescue/escape
• उत्तारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्-√तॄ (धातु) + घञ् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• विद्यते: exists/is found
• विद्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic voice; continuing address to a king in the adhyāya)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpa/mahārāja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral allegory: a person offering ‘charity’ with a face twisted by pride/anger, while shadowy messengers of Yama appear; contrasted with a humble donor bathed in light.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even outwardly ‘good’ acts become spiritually ruinous when driven by desire and anger; purity of motive and dharma are essential.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The next verses explicitly move to Narakeśvara Mahātīrtha on the Narmadā as a means of deliverance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No rite is specified here; it warns against kāma-krodha as the inner cause of downfall.