Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

अवज्ञाय विनष्टोऽहं पापात्मा हरमञ्जसा । मया पापेन मूर्खेण ये लोका नाशिता ध्रुवम्

Transliteration

avajñāya vinaṣṭo'haṃ pāpātmā haramañjasā | mayā pāpena mūrkheṇa ye lokā nāśitā dhruvam

Translation

ഹരനെ അവജ്ഞിച്ചതിനാൽ ഞാൻ പാപാത്മാവ്, ക്ഷണത്തിൽ തന്നെ നശിച്ചു. എന്റെ പാപം കൊണ്ടുതന്നെ ഞാൻ മൂഢൻ, ആ ജനങ്ങളെ തീർച്ചയായും നശിപ്പിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• अवज्ञाय: having disrespected
• अवज्ञाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अव + ज्ञा (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्ययभाव)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund) ‘having disrespected/ignored’

• विनष्टः: ruined
• विनष्टः: Karta-anvaya (Subject complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + नश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतभावे ‘ruined/destroyed’ (अहम् इत्यस्य विशेषण)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पापात्मा: sinful-souled one
• पापात्मा: Karta-anvaya (Apposition/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: ‘पापः आत्मा यस्य सः’ = ‘one whose nature is sinful’ (अहम् इत्यस्य विशेषण)

• हरम्: Hara (Śiva)
• हरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अञ्जसा: straightway/easily
• अञ्जसा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अञ्जसा (अव्यय/निपातवत्)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘straightway, easily, quickly’

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana/Karta (Agent-instrument/करण-कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• पापेन: by sin
• पापेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• मूर्खेण: by (me) foolish
• मूर्खेण: Kartr-viseshana (Agent qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूर्ख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (मया इत्यस्य/अहं इत्यस्य)

• ये: which
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• लोकाः: worlds/realms
• लोकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• नाशिताः: destroyed
• नाशिताः: Karta-anvaya (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाशय् (धातु; causative of √नश्) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि ‘destroyed’ (लोकाः इत्यस्य विशेषण)

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन प्रयुक्तम् (adverbial accusative) ‘certainly’

Speaker

Unspecified penitent (contextual speaker within Revā Khaṇḍa narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (Śaiva moral locus)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bāṇa, scorched and humbled, hands joined or clutching his chest, eyes filled with remorse, flames around him; a faint Śiva-symbol (liṅga silhouette or trident aura) implied as the object of offense.

Characters & Entities

• Hara
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Disrespect toward Śiva (Īśvara-apacāra) leads to swift downfall; repentance begins with honest acknowledgement of one’s fault.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider setting is the Revā (Narmadā) sacred geography in the Āvantya Khaṇḍa, though this verse itself emphasizes confession rather than naming a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse establishes the moral ground for later śaraṇāgati (taking refuge) and devotional acts.