Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

हंस उवाच । तिर्यग्योनिसमुत्पन्नं भवाञ्छप्तुं न चार्हति । स्वभाव एव तिर्यक्षु विवेकविकलं मनः

Transliteration

haṃsa uvāca | tiryagyonisamutpannaṃ bhavāñchaptuṃ na cārhati | svabhāva eva tiryakṣu vivekavikalaṃ manaḥ

Translation

ഹംസൻ പറഞ്ഞു—തിര്യഗ്യോണിയിൽ ജനിച്ച ജീവിയെ നീ ശപിക്കേണ്ടതല്ല; തിര്യക് ജീവികളിൽ സ്വഭാവതഃ മനസ്സ് വിവേകരഹിതമാണ്।

Word by Word

• हंसः: the swan (Haṃsa)
• हंसः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हंस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

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

• तिर्यक्: animal/going crosswise (non-human)
• तिर्यक्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तिर्यक् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण)

• योनि: womb/birth
• योनि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण)

• समुत्पन्नम्: born/arisen
• समुत्पन्नम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+उत्+पद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• भवान्: you (honored sir)
• भवान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; आदरार्थ-प्रयोगः (2nd person honorific)

• शप्तुम्: to curse
• शप्तुम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शप् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन् (infinitive), कर्मार्थक-क्रियापद

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अर्हति: is fit/ought
• अर्हति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्वभावः: nature
• स्वभावः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Avadharana (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• तिर्यक्षु: among animals
• तिर्यक्षु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिर्यक् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), बहुवचन

• विवेक: discernment
• विवेक: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण)

• विकलम्: devoid/defective
• विकलम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (समासोत्तरपद-रूपेण)

• मनः: mind
• मनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Haṃsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha milieu

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dhātā (Brahmā) / addressed authority in the scene

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene Haṃsa speaks before Dhātā (Brahmā), gently restraining a curse and arguing for compassion toward an animal-born being; the setting suggests a sacred riverbank hermitage atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Haṃsa
• Brahmā (implied addressee)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Judgment should consider svabhāva and capacity; compassion and proportional response are part of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse is a moral-theological argument within the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.