Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

तच्छ्रुत्वा विप्रियं घोरं राजा विप्रमुखाच्च्युतम् । आसनात्पतितो भूमौ छिन्नमूल इव द्रुमः

Transliteration

tacchrutvā vipriyaṃ ghoraṃ rājā vipramukhāccyutam | āsanātpatito bhūmau chinnamūla iva drumaḥ

Translation

ബ്രാഹ്മണന്റെ വായിൽ നിന്നുള്ള ആ ഭീകരവും അനിഷ്ടവുമായ വാർത്ത കേട്ട് രാജാവ് സിംഹാസനത്തിൽ നിന്ന് നിലത്തേക്ക് വീണു; വേരറുത്ത വൃക്ഷംപോലെ.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचनम्; कर्म-निर्देशः (object of hearing)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-भावकृदन्तम् (gerund/absolutive) = ‘having heard’

• विप्रियम्: unpleasant
• विप्रियम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विप्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (तत् इत्यस्य)

• घोरम्: terrible
• घोरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (विप्रियम्/तत्)

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्

• विप्रमुखात्: from the mouth of the Brahmin
• विप्रमुखात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचनम्; समासः: विप्रस्य मुखम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• च्युतम्: uttered / issued
• च्युतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: च्युत (कृदन्त; √च्यु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘fallen/uttered’; विशेषणम् (तत्)

• आसनात्: from the seat
• आसनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी, एकवचनम्

• पतितः: fell
• पतितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पतित (कृदन्त; √पत्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; कर्तरि-प्रयोगे ‘having fallen’ (predicate participle)

• भूमौ: on the ground
• भूमौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम्

• छिन्नमूलः: with roots cut off
• छिन्नमूलः: Upamana-dharma (Simile attribute/उपमान-धर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छिन्न (कृदन्त; √छिद्) + मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; समासः: छिन्नं मूलं यस्य (कर्मधारय)

• इव: like
• इव: Upama-marker (उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; उपमा-वाचक-निपातः (simile particle)

• द्रुमः: a tree
• द्रुमः: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रुम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Narrator (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, hearing the grim report, topples from his throne-seat onto the floor; courtiers recoil; priests stand grave; the fire-hall feels suddenly cold and heavy.

Characters & Entities

• Rājā
• Brāhmaṇa(s)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When sacred foundations are shaken, even royal power becomes fragile; dharma is portrayed as the true root-support of sovereignty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is explicitly praised in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it depicts the king’s reaction to the ritual crisis.