Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

श्वभोजनो विसूचिश्चाप्यवीचिश्च तथाऽपरः । कूटसाक्षी रौरवं च रोधं गोविप्ररोधकः

Transliteration

śvabhojano visūciścāpyavīciśca tathā'paraḥ | kūṭasākṣī rauravaṃ ca rodhaṃ goviprarodhakaḥ

Translation

ശ്വഭോജന, വിസൂചി, മറ്റൊരു അവീചിയും ഉണ്ട്. കൂറ്റസാക്ഷി രൗരവ നരകത്തിലേക്ക് പോകുന്നു; ഗാവിനെയും ബ്രാഹ്മണനെയും തടയുന്നവൻ രോധ നരകം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• श्वभोजनः: Śvabhojana (hell)
• श्वभोजनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वन् (प्रातिपदिक) + भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (dog-food / feeding on dogs) नरक-नाम

• विसूचिः: Visūci (hell)
• विसूचिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विसूचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नरक-नाम

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (also)

• अवीचिः: Avīci (hell)
• अवीचिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवीचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नरक-नाम

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

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकार-अव्यय (likewise)

• अपरः: another
• अपरः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (another)

• कूटसाक्षी: Kūṭasākṣī (hell for false witness)
• कूटसाक्षी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूट (प्रातिपदिक) + साक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (false-witness) नरक-नाम/दण्ड-स्थान

• रौरवम्: Raurava (hell)
• रौरवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रौरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; नरक-नाम

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

• रोधम्: Rodha (hell)
• रोधम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; नरक-नाम

• गोविप्ररोधकः: Goviprarodhaka (hell)
• गोविप्ररोधकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक) + विप्र (प्रातिपदिक) + रोधक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (obstructor of cows and brāhmaṇas) नरक-नाम/दण्ड-स्थान

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narrative convention)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: interlocutor (mahāmati)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral courtroom-to-cosmos tableau: the false witness (kūṭasākṣī) is shown being dragged toward Raurava; the obstructer of cows and brāhmaṇas (go-vipra-rodhaka) is led to Rodha; nearby appear Śvabhojana and Visūci as additional dreadful realms.

Characters & Entities

• Gau (Cow)
• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Truthfulness and protection of dharmic pillars (cows and brāhmaṇas) are essential; violating them brings severe karmic retribution.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the focus is ethical dharma and its consequences.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; the verse functions as a deterrent by naming consequences.