Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 111

Devanagari script

भाव्यमेतच्च भाव्यर्थात्को हि पावक मुच्यते । भाव्यर्थेनापि यत्ते च परदारोप सेवनम्

Transliteration

bhāvyametacca bhāvyarthātko hi pāvaka mucyate | bhāvyarthenāpi yatte ca paradāropa sevanam

Translation

“ഇത് വിധിപ്രകാരം സംഭവിക്കേണ്ടതായിരുന്നു; സംഭവിക്കാനിരിക്കുന്നതിൽ നിന്ന്, ഹേ പാവകാ, ആരാണ് ഒഴിഞ്ഞുമാറുക? എങ്കിലും പരസ്ത്രീസേവനം നിന്റെ ദോഷമാണ്.”

Word by Word

• भाव्यम्: inevitable/what must happen
• भाव्यम्: Kriya (Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भू (धातु) + यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भाव्यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive/future passive participle: ‘to be’/‘inevitable’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• भाव्यर्थात्: from the force of destiny/inevitability
• भाव्यर्थात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाव्य-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; भाव्य + अर्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• पावक: O Fire
• पावक: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पावक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• मुच्यते: is freed/escapes
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• भाव्यर्थेन: by/through destiny’s purpose
• भाव्यर्थेन: Karaṇa/Hetu (Means/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाव्य-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; भाव्य + अर्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपवाद-बोधक निपात (also/even)

• यत्: which/that
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative marker)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• ते: of you/your
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; (enclitic form)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• परदारोप: approaching another’s wife
• परदारोप: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर-दार-उप (प्रातिपदिक; पर + दार + उप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (समासे ‘परदार’ = अन्यस्य पत्नी)

• सेवनम्: service/indulgence/consorting
• सेवनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेव् (धातु) + अन (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त-भाववाचक (action noun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Khecarī Vāṇī (celestial voice) addressing Pāvaka (Agni)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāvaka (Agni)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disembodied celestial admonition addresses Agni: half the sky serene (acceptance of destiny), half stern (naming the fault of paradāra-sevana). Agni listens, chastened.

Characters & Entities

• Pāvaka (Agni)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Destiny may frame events, but dharma still judges choices—paradāra-sevana remains blameworthy even when a larger purpose is involved.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is a dharmic admonition within the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse functions as ethical instruction (nīti/dharma) rather than ritual guidance.