Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

धर्मज्ञश्च कृतज्ञश्च सर्वसत्त्वहिते रतः । अकामात्पातकं जातं कथं शुद्धिर्भविष्यति

Transliteration

dharmajñaśca kṛtajñaśca sarvasattvahite rataḥ | akāmātpātakaṃ jātaṃ kathaṃ śuddhirbhaviṣyati

Translation

ഞാൻ ധർമ്മജ്ഞനും കൃതജ്ഞനും സർവ്വജീവഹിതത്തിൽ രതനുമാണ്. എങ്കിലും അകാമമായി എന്നിൽ നിന്നു പാപം സംഭവിച്ചു—ഇനി ശുദ്ധി എങ്ങനെ ലഭിക്കും?

Word by Word

• धर्मज्ञः: knower of dharma
• धर्मज्ञः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धर्मस्य ज्ञः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• कृतज्ञः: grateful
• कृतज्ञः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कृतस्य ज्ञः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• सर्वसत्त्वहिते: in the welfare of all beings
• सर्वसत्त्वहिते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + सत्त्व + हित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषां सत्त्वानां हिते)

• रतः: engaged/devoted
• रतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अकामात्: unintentionally
• अकामात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे हेतौ (from lack of desire/unintentionally)

• पातकम्: sin
• पातकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• जातम्: has arisen/occurred
• जातम्: Kriya (Result state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) + जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगे ‘उत्पन्नम्’

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• शुद्धिः: purification
• शुद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Citrasena

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛkṣaśṛṅga

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, visibly troubled, speaks with humility to the sage, describing his virtues yet confessing an unintended sin; the atmosphere is heavy with moral sorrow.

Characters & Entities

• Citrasena
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Good character does not erase unintended wrongdoing; dharma emphasizes purification through appropriate, guided expiation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa context aligns with Narmadā-region sacred geography, but this verse centers on ethical purification rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it poses the central question that the forthcoming verses are expected to answer.