Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 121

Devanagari script

गोघ्नस्तु निक्षेपहरो ग्रामसीमाहरस्तु यः । सर्वे ते नरकं यांति या च स्त्री पतिवंचका

Transliteration

goghnastu nikṣepaharo grāmasīmāharastu yaḥ | sarve te narakaṃ yāṃti yā ca strī pativaṃcakā

Translation

ഗോഹന്താവ്, നിക്ഷേപഹരൻ (ഏല്പിച്ച സമ്പത്ത് കവർന്നവൻ), ഗ്രാമസീമാഭൂമി കവർന്നവൻ—ഇവർ എല്ലാവരും നരകത്തിലേക്ക് പോകുന്നു; അതുപോലെ ഭർത്താവിനെ വഞ്ചിക്കുന്ന സ്ത്രീയും.

Word by Word

• गोघ्नः: cow-killer
• गोघ्नः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो+घ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (nominative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (particle)

• निक्षेपहरः: one who steals a deposit/entrusted property
• निक्षेपहरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निक्षेप+हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (nominative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• ग्रामसीमाहरः: one who takes/encroaches village boundaries
• ग्रामसीमाहरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम+सीमा+हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (nominative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (particle)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (nominative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (nominative), बहुवचनम् (plural)

• ते: they/those
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (nominative), बहुवचनम् (plural)

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः (neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (accusative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), बहुवचनम् (plural)

• या: who (female)
• या: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः (feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (nominative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Conjunction (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• स्त्री: woman
• स्त्री: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः (feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (nominative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• पतिवञ्चका: one who deceives her husband
• पतिवञ्चका: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति+वञ्चक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः (feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (nominative), एकवचनम् (singular)

Speaker

Deductive: Purāṇic narrator within the Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya (Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A village-edge scene: a cow protected by righteous villagers; a boundary-stone (sīmā) stands firm; a deposit chest symbolizes trust; a household scene contrasts fidelity with deception; a dark naraka-cloud looms as warning.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It stresses trust, social order (land boundaries), and fidelity as dharmic pillars; their violation is linked to naraka.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs in the Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya of Prabhāsa Kṣetra, using dharma to frame the sanctity of place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is specified; the verse functions as condemnation of specific transgressions.