Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

किंतु साक्षान्न कृतवान्यतोऽसावीदृशीं क्रियाम् । तन्मानुषत्व मेवास्य वेतालत्वं तु नो भवेत्

Transliteration

kiṃtu sākṣānna kṛtavānyato'sāvīdṛśīṃ kriyām | tanmānuṣatva mevāsya vetālatvaṃ tu no bhavet

Translation

എന്നാൽ അവൻ നേരിട്ട് അത്തരം പ്രവൃത്തി ചെയ്തിട്ടില്ല; അതിനാൽ അവന് മനുഷ്യജന്മം മാത്രം, വേതാളത്വം ഉണ്ടാകുകയില്ല।

Word by Word

• किंतु: but; however
• किंतु: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किंतु (अव्यय)
• Form: व्यतिरेक/विरोधार्थक-अव्यय — adversative ‘but/however’

• साक्षात्: directly
• साक्षात्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थ/प्रत्यक्षार्थ-अव्यय — adverb ‘directly/in person’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात — negation ‘not’

• कृतवान्: did; has done
• कृतवान्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्त (परस्मैपदी-कर्तरि), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Perfective past participle used predicatively ‘has done’

• यतः: because
• यतः: Sambandha (Cause connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय; यद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय — causal ‘because/since’

• असौ: he
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative Singular

• ईदृशीम्: such
• ईदृशीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative Singular

• क्रियाम्: act; deed
• क्रियाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative Singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom/Acc Singular

• मानुषत्वम्: human-hood
• मानुषत्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष + त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative Singular

• एव: only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात — ‘only/indeed’

• अस्य: of him
• अस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन — Masculine, Genitive Singular ‘of him’

• वेतालत्वम्: vetāla-hood
• वेतालत्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेताल + त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative Singular

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात — particle ‘but/indeed’

• नः: not
• नः: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय; नकार-निपात)
• Form: निषेधार्थे ‘न’ (छान्दस/पदपूरणरूपेण ‘नः’ इति) — negation ‘not’

• भवेत्: would be; should occur
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (सम्भावना/आशीर्लिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Optative, 3rd person, Singular

Speaker

Gālava (continuing the curse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The judge/sage clarifies: Sukarṇa did not perform the act directly; therefore he avoids vetāla-hood and receives only human birth—depicted as a calming, corrective pronouncement.

Characters & Entities

• Gālava
• Sukarṇa (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma distinguishes levels of culpability: direct wrongdoing and mere consent bear different fruits, reflecting moral proportionality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setukhaṇḍa context is Setu-kṣetra; this verse focuses on the ethics of judgment rather than a site’s ritual glory.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse clarifies the limits of the curse based on the nature of participation.