Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

मातृकं पैतृकं वंशं श्वाशुरं च प्रपातयेत् । तस्मादेतेन कृत्येन गर्हितेन धरातले

Transliteration

mātṛkaṃ paitṛkaṃ vaṃśaṃ śvāśuraṃ ca prapātayet | tasmādetena kṛtyena garhitena dharātale

Translation

ഈ ഭൂമിയിൽ ഈ ഗർഹിത കൃത്യം മൂലം മനുഷ്യൻ മാതൃവംശവും പിതൃവംശവും ശ്വശുരവംശവും വരെ പതിപ്പിക്കുന്നു; അതിനാൽ ഇത് നിന്ദ്യമാണ്।

Word by Word

• मातृकम्: maternal
• मातृकम्: Karma (Object qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मातृक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative) एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वंशम्)

• पैतृकम्: paternal
• पैतृकम्: Karma (Object qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पैतृक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वंशम्)

• वंशम्: lineage, family line
• वंशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative) एकवचन

• श्वाशुरम्: father-in-law’s family/house
• श्वाशुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वशुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative) एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय conjunction): ‘and’

• प्रपातयेत्: would cause to fall/ruin
• प्रपातयेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-पत् (पत् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; causative sense in usage: ‘cause to fall/ruin’

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Sambandha (Causal/therefore)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (तद्-सर्वनाम; ablative form used adverbially)
• Form: अव्ययवत् (हेतौ/तस्मात् = therefore); मूलतः तद्-प्रातिपदिकस्य पञ्चमी एकवचन

• एतेन: by this
• एतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental) एकवचन

• कृत्येन: by this act/deed
• कृत्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृ धातोः यत्/ण्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental) एकवचन

• गर्हितेन: by the blameworthy (act)
• गर्हितेन: Karana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गर्हित (गर्ह् धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd) एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कृत्येन)

• धरातले: on the earth, on the ground
• धरातले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरातल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/locative) एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: ‘धरायाः तलम्’ = on the earth’s surface

Speaker

Unspecified (admonitory narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral climax: the speaker declares that a condemned deed causes the fall of maternal, paternal, and affinal lineages; visualized as three family trees or ancestral figures dimming while the dharma-speaker stands firm near a sacred precinct.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma harms not only the individual but also brings dishonor and decline upon interconnected families and lineages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this isolated verse; it remains within the broader Tīrthamāhātmya chapter setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it states social-spiritual consequences rather than prescribing a rite.