Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

श्रीदेव्युवाच । यस्मात्सत्यं समुत्सृज्य लोभोपहतमानसैः । मदीयं लोपितं स्थानं तस्माच्छृण्वन्तु मे गिरम्

Transliteration

śrīdevyuvāca | yasmātsatyaṃ samutsṛjya lobhopahatamānasaiḥ | madīyaṃ lopitaṃ sthānaṃ tasmācchṛṇvantu me giram

Translation

ശ്രീദേവി അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—‘സത്യം ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച്, ലോഭം കൊണ്ടു മുറിവേറ്റ മനസ്സുകളാൽ അവർ എന്റെ യഥാർത്ഥ സ്ഥാനത്തെ മായ്ച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു; അതുകൊണ്ട് അവർ എന്റെ വാക്ക് കേൾക്കട്ടെ।’

Word by Word

• श्रीदेवी: the revered Goddess
• श्रीदेवी: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक) + देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (श्रीश्चासौ देवी)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• यस्मात्: since/because
• यस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्धाव्यय (relative adverb), हेत्वर्थे ‘यस्मात्’ = ‘because/since’

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• समुत्सृज्य: having abandoned
• समुत्सृज्य: Kriya (Adverbial action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उत्-सृज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• लोभोपहतमानसैः: by those whose minds are struck by greed
• लोभोपहतमानसैः: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोभ (प्रातिपदिक) + उपहत (उप-हन् धातु, क्त) + मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीह्यर्थे प्रयोगः—‘लोभेन उपहतं मानसं येषां ते’ (instrumental plural as agent)

• मदीयम्: my
• मदीयम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मदीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘स्थानम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• लोपितम्: removed/effaced
• लोपितम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लुप् (धातु)
• Form: कर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘स्थानम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• स्थानम्: place/position
• स्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Phala (Cause-result link)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्धाव्यय (consequential adverb), ‘therefore/from that reason’

• शृण्वन्तु: let them hear
• शृण्वन्तु: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• गिरम्: speech/words
• गिरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Śrī (Lakṣmī/Ramā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī Śrī speaks with commanding clarity, pointing to the moral breach—truth abandoned, greed enthroned—while the brāhmaṇas listen, their manuscripts now seeming accusatory evidence.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī (Lakṣmī/Ramā)
• Dvijas (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Greed-driven abandonment of truth causes the departure of Śrī (prosperity, auspiciousness, rightful order) from society.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode is set at Bhṛgukaccha in the Revā Khaṇḍa; the teaching frames the site as a stage for dharma and its consequences.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly in this verse; it introduces a pronouncement (often followed by a curse or rule) grounded in dharma.