Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

मातृपितृपरित्यागः कूटसाक्षी सुहृद्वधः । अभक्ष्यभक्षणं वन्यजंतूनां काम्यया वधः

Transliteration

mātṛpitṛparityāgaḥ kūṭasākṣī suhṛdvadhaḥ | abhakṣyabhakṣaṇaṃ vanyajaṃtūnāṃ kāmyayā vadhaḥ

Translation

മാതാപിതാക്കളെ ഉപേക്ഷിക്കൽ, കള്ളസാക്ഷ്യം പറയൽ, സുഹൃദ്‌വധം, അഭക്ഷ്യം ഭക്ഷിക്കൽ, ആഗ്രഹത്താൽ വന്യജീവികളെ കൊല്ലൽ—ഇവയെല്ലാം ഘോരപാപങ്ങളാണ്.

Word by Word

• मातृपितृपरित्यागः: abandonment of mother and father
• मातृपितृपरित्यागः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ + पितृ + परित्याग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-पूर्वपद (मातृ-पितृ) + तत्पुरुष (तयोः परित्यागः)

• कूटसाक्षी: false witness
• कूटसाक्षी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूट + साक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (कूटः साक्षी)

• सुहृद्वधः: killing of a friend
• सुहृद्वधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुहृद् + वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (सुहृदः वधः)

• अभक्ष्यभक्षणम्: eating what is forbidden
• अभक्ष्यभक्षणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभक्ष्य + भक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (अभक्ष्यस्य भक्षणम्)

• वन्यजन्तूनाम्: of wild creatures
• वन्यजन्तूनाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन्य + जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठī), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (वन्याः जन्तवः)

• काम्यया: for desire (selfish motive)
• काम्यया: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; हेतु/प्रयोजनार्थ (for desire)

• वधः: killing
• वधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequence of moral tableaux: an elderly mother and father left unattended; a courtroom scene with a witness speaking falsely; a friend struck down; a person eating prohibited food; a hunter killing a deer for pleasure—each under the shadow of Yama’s gaze.

Characters & Entities

• Mātṛ
• Pitṛ
• Suhṛt

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma rests on gratitude to parents, truthfulness, loyalty, purity in diet, and restraint from desire-driven violence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the teaching is ethical and dharma-centered.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it lists prohibited actions to be avoided.