Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

शीलभंगेन दुर्वृत्ताः पातयंति कुलत्रयम् । पितुर्मातुस्तथा पत्युरिहारमुत्र च दुःखिताः

Transliteration

śīlabhaṃgena durvṛttāḥ pātayaṃti kulatrayam | piturmātustathā patyurihāramutra ca duḥkhitāḥ

Translation

ശീലഭംഗം മൂലം ദുർവൃത്തർ ത്രികുലത്തെ പതിപ്പിക്കുന്നു; പിതാവിനെയും മാതാവിനെയും ഭർത്താവിനെയും ഇഹലോകത്തും പരലോകത്തും ദുഃഖിപ്പിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• शीलभङ्गेन: by the breaking of good conduct
• शीलभङ्गेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शील-भङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक; √भञ्ज् धातु-निष्पन्न ‘भङ्ग’ + ‘शील’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शीलस्य भङ्गः)

• दुर्वृत्ताः: the wicked (ill-conducted) people
• दुर्वृत्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक; दुर् + वृत्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (दुष्टं वृत्तं येषाम्/दुष्टवृत्ताः)

• पातयन्ति: cause to fall / ruin
• पातयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पत् (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; णिजन्त-प्रयोगः (causative)

• कुलत्रयम्: three generations/families
• कुलत्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल-त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रीणि कुलानि)

• पितुः: of the father
• पितुः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• मातुः: of the mother
• मातुः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• तथा: and likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्धसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/तुल्यतासूचक (conjunctive/adverb: ‘also/likewise’)

• पत्युः: of the husband
• पत्युः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place: ‘here/in this world’)

• अमुत्र: there (in the next world)
• अमुत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अमुत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb: ‘there/in the other world’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्धसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction ‘and’)

• दुःखिताः: afflicted, miserable
• दुःखिताः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःखित (प्रातिपदिक; √खिद् धातु-निष्पन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (past participle used adjectivally)

Speaker

Unknown (contextual narrator within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa; likely a Purāṇic teacher-voice addressing dharma)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral tableau: a household with elders (father, mother) and husband shown in sorrow as a figure representing ‘durvṛtta’ breaks a symbolic vow; in the background, two paths labeled iha and amutra indicate consequences in both worlds.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Personal virtue (śīla) sustains not only the individual but also the wider family order; violating it brings suffering across generations and worlds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is directly named in this verse; it functions as a dharma-teaching within the Dharmāraṇya section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is prescribed here; the emphasis is on ethical discipline and its karmic consequences.