Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

ये च तुंगासनारूढाः कथां शृण्वंति दांभिकाः । अक्षयान्नरकान्भुक्त्वा ते भवंत्येव वायसाः

Transliteration

ye ca tuṃgāsanārūḍhāḥ kathāṃ śṛṇvaṃti dāṃbhikāḥ | akṣayānnarakānbhuktvā te bhavaṃtyeva vāyasāḥ

Translation

ദംഭികൾ ഉയർന്ന ആസനത്തിൽ ഇരുന്ന് പാവനകഥ കേൾക്കുമ്പോൾ, അവർ ‘അക്ഷയ’ നരകങ്ങൾ അനുഭവിച്ച് തീർച്ചയായും കാക്കകളായി ജന്മിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• तुङ्ग-आसन-आरूढाः: seated on a high seat
• तुङ्ग-आसन-आरूढाः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + आसन (प्रातिपदिक) + आरूढ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √रुह्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (तुङ्गे आसने आरूढाः)

• कथाम्: story
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• शृण्वन्ति: listen
• शृण्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• दाम्भिकाः: hypocrites, pretenders
• दाम्भिकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाम्भिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणवत्—ये

• अक्षयान्: endless, imperishable
• अक्षयान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणं—नरकान्

• नरकान्: hells
• नरकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• भुक्त्वा: having experienced/endured
• भुक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive); पूर्वकाले कृत्य

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• भवन्ति: become
• भवन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (particle of emphasis)

• वायसाः: crows
• वायसाः: Karta (Subject Complement/प्रथमा-प्रत्यय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Unknown (context not supplied; likely a purāṇic narrator within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A proud listener sits on an elevated throne-like seat while others sit on the ground; the vyāsa’s gaze is calm; behind the proud man, a crow motif foreshadows rebirth after ‘akṣaya’ hells.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility is essential in sacred settings; prideful display corrupts religious merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the teaching is about general dharma in kathā assemblies.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not sit on an elevated seat in a way that signals arrogance while hearing kathā.