Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

पूर्णे संवत्सरे देहं संपूर्णं प्रतिपद्यते । पापात्मा घोररूपं तु धार्मिको दिव्यमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

pūrṇe saṃvatsare dehaṃ saṃpūrṇaṃ pratipadyate | pāpātmā ghorarūpaṃ tu dhārmiko divyamuttamam

Translation

ഒരു വർഷം പൂർണ്ണമായാൽ അവൻ സമ്പൂർണ്ണ ദേഹം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു. പാപാത്മാവ് ഭീകരരൂപം ധരിക്കുന്നു; ധാർമ്മികൻ ദിവ്യവും ഉത്തമവുമായ രൂപം നേടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• पूर्णे: when completed/at the completion
• पूर्णे: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन — Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular; विशेषणम् (संवत्सरे)

• संवत्सरे: in a year
• संवत्सरे: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन — Masculine, Locative, Singular

• देहम्: a body
• देहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/Accusative), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• संपूर्णम्: complete/entire
• संपूर्णम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संपूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular; विशेषणम् (देहम्)

• प्रतिपद्यते: attains/obtains
• प्रतिपद्यते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति√पद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present, 3rd singular; अर्थः ‘प्राप्नोति/attains’

• पापात्मा: the sinful person
• पापात्मा: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप-आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः कर्मधारय (पापः आत्मा यस्य/पाप आत्मा); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• घोररूपम्: a terrible form
• घोररूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घोर-रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः कर्मधारय (घोरं रूपम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/Accusative), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तु: but
• तु: Contrast (विरोध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषणार्थक-अव्यय (adversative particle)

• धार्मिकः: the righteous person
• धार्मिकः: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धार्मिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/Nominative), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दिव्यम्: divine
• दिव्यम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; विशेषणम् (उत्तमम्/रूपम् implied)

• उत्तमम्: excellent/supreme
• उत्तमम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; विशेषणम् (दिव्यम्/रूपम् implied)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic one-year cycle shown as a wheel; at its completion, two figures emerge: one dreadful and shadowy (pāpātmā), another luminous and serene (dhārmika), indicating karmic determination of form.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Karma shapes one’s post-mortem condition: righteousness yields a luminous state, sin yields a fearful one.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse teaches general purāṇic afterlife doctrine.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A time-marker is implied (completion of a year), aligning with annual śrāddha cycles, though no specific act is detailed here.