Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 103

Devanagari script

चिंतयंती ममेदं चेद्रूपं द्रक्ष्यंति कानने । ते ब्राह्मणीनामनृतं दोषं वक्ष्यंति पावकात्

Transliteration

ciṃtayaṃtī mamedaṃ cedrūpaṃ drakṣyaṃti kānane | te brāhmaṇīnāmanṛtaṃ doṣaṃ vakṣyaṃti pāvakāt

Translation

അവൾ ചിന്തിച്ചു— “വനത്തിൽ അവർ എന്റെ ഈ രൂപം കണ്ടാൽ, ബ്രാഹ്മണിമാരുടെ കാരണത്താൽ പാവകൻ (അഗ്നി) അസത്യദോഷം ഏറ്റുവെന്ന് അവർ പറയും।”

Word by Word

• चिन्तयन्ती: thinking
• चिन्तयन्ती: Karta (Agent as participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्तय् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (Present Active Participle), स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘thinking’

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Demonstrative/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; अत्र ‘इदं रूपम्’ इति (this)

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle ‘if’)

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• द्रक्ष्यन्ति: will see
• द्रक्ष्यन्ति: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• कानने: in the grove/forest
• कानने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कानन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

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

• ब्राह्मणीनाम्: of the Brahmin women
• ब्राह्मणीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• अनृतम्: falsehood, untruth
• अनृतम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘doṣam’ इत्यस्य विशेषण/सम्बद्ध-वस्तु

• दोषम्: fault, blame
• दोषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वक्ष्यन्ति: will say/speak
• वक्ष्यन्ति: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पावकात्: from/against (because of) Fire (Agni)
• पावकात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पावक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Svāhā, anxious, pauses among trees, imagining the brāhmaṇa-wives seeing her true form; Agni’s flame in the distance becomes a ‘witness’ to truth and falsehood.

Characters & Entities

• Pāvaka (Agni)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reputation and moral accountability matter in dharma; actions that appear improper can generate doṣa (blame) and social-spiritual consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is identified; the verse is set in a forest (kānana) within the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse focuses on ethical concern (doṣa) rather than rite.