Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

स पातयत्यसंदिग्धं दश पूर्वान्दशापरान् । एकविंशतिमं चैव तथैवात्मानमेव च

Transliteration

sa pātayatyasaṃdigdhaṃ daśa pūrvāndaśāparān | ekaviṃśatimaṃ caiva tathaivātmānameva ca

Translation

അത്തരം വ്യക്തി സംശയമില്ലാതെ പത്ത് പൂർവ്വികരെയും പത്ത് സന്തതികളെയും പതനത്തിലാക്കുന്നു; ഇരുപത്തൊന്നാമനായ അവൻ തന്നെയും അതുപോലെ നശിപ്പിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पातयति: causes to fall, ruins
• पातयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पत् (धातु) caus. पातय (णिच्)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative)

• असंदिग्धम्: undoubtedly, certainly
• असंदिग्धम्: Kriya-Visheshana (Adverbial qualifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असंदिग्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative) एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial accusative)

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या; पुंलिङ्ग-द्वितीया बहुवचनस्य विशेषण (indeclinable numeral used adjectivally)

• पूर्वान्: the former ones (ancestors)
• पूर्वान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या; पुंलिङ्ग-द्वितीया बहुवचनस्य विशेषण

• अपरान्: the later ones (descendants)
• अपरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• एकविंशतिमम्: the twenty-first
• एकविंशतिमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकविंशतिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—एक + विंशति (संख्या) → एकविंशति; तदन्त-तत्पुरुष/संख्यासमासाधारित ‘21st’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• तथा: thus, likewise
• तथा: Prakara (Manner adjunct/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/तुल्यतावाचक अव्यय (adverb)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय

• आत्मानम्: himself
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; स्ववाचक

• एव: even, indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

Speaker

Daśārṇa (continuation, implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark moral tableau: a speaker warns that a single person’s act drags down a chain of ancestors and descendants; faint, symbolic silhouettes of forebears and future heirs appear behind him.

Characters & Entities

• Ancestors (pūrvāḥ)
• Descendants (aparāḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It emphasizes intergenerational karmic responsibility: adharma is portrayed as harming both lineage and oneself.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this verse; it serves the ethical tension within a tīrtha-centered chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is a statement of moral consequence rather than a ritual injunction.