Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 98

Devanagari script

यथा परिणतं सस्यं पतेत्प्रसवबंधनात् । ते परीणतपाप्मानः पतिष्यंति तथा स्वयम्

Transliteration

yathā pariṇataṃ sasyaṃ patetprasavabaṃdhanāt | te parīṇatapāpmānaḥ patiṣyaṃti tathā svayam

Translation

പാകമായ ധാന്യം കതിരിന്റെ ബന്ധനത്തിൽ നിന്ന് സ്വയം വീഴുന്നതുപോലെ, പാപം പരിപക്വമായവർ സ്വയം തന്നെ പതിക്കും।

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Discourse (Comparison marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (comparative/relative adverb)

• परिणतम्: ripened
• परिणतम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-णम् (धातु) → परिणत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• सस्यम्: the crop/grain
• सस्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पतेत्: would fall
• पतेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रसवबंधनात्: from the bond of the stalk/fruiting tie
• प्रसवबंधनात्: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसव (प्रातिपदिक) + बन्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; समासः—प्रसवस्य बन्धनम् (तत्पुरुष)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• परीणतपाप्मानः: those whose sin has ripened
• परीणतपाप्मानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-णम् (धातु) → परीणत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + पाप्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—परीणतः पाप्मा येषाम्/परीणतं पाप्मानम् (तत्पुरुष), ‘पापेन परिपक्वाः’

• पतिष्यन्ति: will fall
• पतिष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• तथा: so/in the same way
• तथा: Discourse (Manner marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (adverb of manner)

• स्वयम्: by themselves
• स्वयम्: Discourse (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, आत्मवाचक (reflexive adverb)

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: ripe grain heads bending and releasing kernels, juxtaposed with a proud sinner whose aura dims as karmic fruit drops away; Kāśī’s riverfront stands beyond as refuge.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Karma ripens inevitably; when wrongdoing matures, downfall occurs naturally without needing external compulsion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None explicitly; it functions as a karmic teaching within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an illustrative analogy explaining karmic consequence.