Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

पापिष्ठानां कृतघ्नानां स्वामिमित्रावघातिनाम् । तीर्थाख्यानं शुभं तेषां गोपितव्यं सदा बुधैः

Transliteration

pāpiṣṭhānāṃ kṛtaghnānāṃ svāmimitrāvaghātinām | tīrthākhyānaṃ śubhaṃ teṣāṃ gopitavyaṃ sadā budhaiḥ

Translation

അത്യന്തം പാപികളായ കൃതഘ്നന്മാരിലും സ്വാമിയെയോ മിത്രനെയോ വഞ്ചിക്കുന്നവരിലും നിന്ന് ഈ തീർത്ഥത്തിന്റെ ശുഭമാഹാത്മ്യകഥ ജ്ഞാനികൾ എപ്പോഴും രഹസ്യമായി സൂക്ഷിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• पापिष्ठानाम्: of the most sinful
• पापिष्ठानाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पापिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; पाप + इष्ठ superlative)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण-प्रयोगः

• कृतघ्नानाम्: of the ungrateful
• कृतघ्नानाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतघ्न (प्रातिपदिक; कृत + घ्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• स्वामि-मित्र-अवघातिनाम्: of those who harm their master and friends
• स्वामि-मित्र-अवघातिनाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वामि (प्रातिपदिक) + मित्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अवघातिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural); स्वामिनः मित्रस्य च अवघातिनः = स्वामिमित्रावघातिनः

• तीर्थ-आख्यानम्: the account of the tīrtha
• तीर्थ-आख्यानम्: कर्म (Object) / विषय (Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nominative/Accusative 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nominative/Accusative 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (तीर्थाख्यानस्य)

• तेषाम्: for them / of them
• तेषाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural); सर्वनाम

• गोपितव्यम्: should be kept secret
• गोपितव्यम्: विधेय (Predicate; obligation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गुप् (धातु) → गोपितव्य (कृदन्त; तव्यत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-कृदन्त (Gerundive/Obligative); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-भावः = ‘should be concealed’

• सदा: always
• सदा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• बुधैः: by the wise
• बुधैः: करण (Instrument/Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā tīrtha-kathā (general)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (addressed as nara-adhipa/nṛpate in nearby verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage instructs a king: sacred palm-leaf manuscript of tīrtha-māhātmya kept covered; in the background, shadowy figures symbolizing the ungrateful and traitorous are turned away, while worthy devotees sit near the riverbank.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred knowledge has an eligibility principle: the wise protect tīrtha teachings from those committed to betrayal and grave adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The statement applies to tīrtha-māhātmya narratives in general within the Revā Khaṇḍa, safeguarding their sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A discipline of transmission is prescribed: keep the tīrtha narrative confidential from the unworthy.