Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

किं तेन ननु जातेन कुलांगारेण पापिना । यस्मिञ्जीवत्यवि निजाः पितरोऽन्यस्पृहाकराः

Transliteration

kiṃ tena nanu jātena kulāṃgāreṇa pāpinā | yasmiñjīvatyavi nijāḥ pitaro'nyaspṛhākarāḥ

Translation

ആ പാപിയായ ‘കുലാംഗാരൻ’ ജനിച്ചതിൽ എന്ത് പ്രയോജനം? അവൻ ജീവിച്ചിരിക്കുമ്പോഴേ തന്നെ അവന്റെ പിതൃകൾ മറ്റുള്ളവരുടെ സഹായം ആഗ്രഹിക്കേണ്ടിവന്നാൽ!

Word by Word

• किम्: what (use/point)
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• तेन: by/with him; by that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• ननु: indeed/surely
• ननु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ननु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/appeal)

• जातेन: born (one)
• जातेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जात (जन्-धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• कुलाङ्गारेण: a disgrace/‘ember’ of the family
• कुलाङ्गारेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्गार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (कुलस्य अङ्गारः = कुलाङ्गारः)

• पापिना: sinful
• पापिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• यस्मिन्: in whom/when
• यस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक

• जीवति: lives
• जीवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अवि: indeed/just (particle)
• अवि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अवि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/पादपूरण-अव्यय (particle; often metrical filler)

• निजाः: one’s own
• निजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• पितरः: ancestors/fathers
• पितरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• अन्यस्पृहाकराः: causing others’ desire/expectation (i.e., dependent on others)
• अन्यस्पृहाकराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक) + स्पृहा (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (अन्येषां स्पृहां करोति/जनयति इति)

Speaker

Narrator (same episode; speaker not explicitly named in this snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark moral tableau: a negligent descendant portrayed as a ‘smoldering ember’ to the lineage, while pitṛs appear faint and yearning, looking toward others for aid—an image of shame and urgency.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A life that ignores duties to ancestors becomes a disgrace to lineage; dharma is measured by responsibility, not mere birth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is directly praised in this verse; it strengthens the ethical urgency behind going to the tīrtha mentioned earlier.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is specified here; it censures failure to perform ancestral offerings that keep Pitṛs satisfied.