Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

अश्रद्धां चैव दुर्मेधामविद्यायाः सुते उभे । श्रद्धामेधाविघातिन्यौ मर्त्येषु पर्यचोदयत्

Transliteration

aśraddhāṃ caiva durmedhāmavidyāyāḥ sute ubhe | śraddhāmedhāvighātinyau martyeṣu paryacodayat

Translation

അവൻ അവിദ്യയുടെ രണ്ടു പുത്രിമാരായ അശ്രദ്ധയും ദുര്മേധയും മർത്ത്യലോകത്തിലേക്ക് അയച്ചു; അവർ മനുഷ്യരുടെ ശ്രദ്ധയും സദ്ബുദ്ധിയും നശിപ്പിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• अश्रद्धाम्: lack of faith
• अश्रद्धाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (निपात)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण)

• दुर्मेधाम्: bad intellect/dullness
• दुर्मेधाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्-मेधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अविद्यायाः: of ignorance
• अविद्यायाः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• सुते: two daughters
• सुते: Karma (कर्म) (apposition to the two names)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचन (द्विवचनरूपे ‘सुते’); ‘two daughters’

• उभे: both
• उभे: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उभ (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, द्विवचन; अत्र ‘सुते’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• श्रद्धामेधाविघातिन्यौ: (the two) who destroy faith and intellect
• श्रद्धामेधाविघातिन्यौ: Karma (कर्म) (qualifying the two)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रद्धा-मेधा-विघातिन् (प्रातिपदिक; श्रद्धा + मेधा + विघातिन्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘faith and intellect’ + ‘destroying’)

• मर्त्येषु: among mortals
• मर्त्येषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• पर्यचोदयत्: impelled/instigated
• पर्यचोदयत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-चुद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्, परस्मैपद, तृतीयपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Purāṇic narrator (Brahmā’s action described)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two shadowy feminine figures—Aśraddhā and Durmedhā—emerge from Avidyā and move among humans, dimming their devotion and clouding their intellect; japa beads slip from hands, sacred texts close.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Dhātā)
• Avidyā
• Aśraddhā
• Durmedhā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faith (śraddhā) and clear understanding (medhā) are essential for spiritual practice; their loss becomes a principal obstacle.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is an allegorical explanation of spiritual obstruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, it warns that japa requires śraddhā and medhā; without them, practice is undermined.