Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

घोरघोरतरा दृष्टाः क्लिश्यन्ते यत्र मानवाः । वाचिकैर्मानसैः पापैः कर्मजैश्च पृथग्विधैः

Transliteration

ghoraghoratarā dṛṣṭāḥ kliśyante yatra mānavāḥ | vācikairmānasaiḥ pāpaiḥ karmajaiśca pṛthagvidhaiḥ

Translation

अत्यंत भयंकर असे प्रदेश दिसले, जिथे मनुष्य क्लेश भोगतात—वाणीचे पाप, मनाचे पाप, आणि कर्मातून उत्पन्न विविध अपराध यांमुळे।

Word by Word

• घोरघोरतराः: most terrible
• घोरघोरतराः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक) + घोरतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (intensifying) = 'more and more terrible/most terrible'

• दृष्टाः: were seen
• दृष्टाः: Karma (Object/कर्म) (implicit, in passive sense)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट (कृदन्त/भूतकृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; predicative passive sense = 'were seen'

• क्लिश्यन्ते: they suffer/are tormented
• क्लिश्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्लिश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (where)

• मानवाः: humans
• मानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• वाचिकैः: by verbal (sins)
• वाचिकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाचिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; instrumental plural; qualifies पापैः

• मानसैः: by mental (sins)
• मानसैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; instrumental plural; qualifies पापैः

• पापैः: by sins
• पापैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• कर्मजैः: by those arising from deeds
• कर्मजैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः = 'born of actions'

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

• पृथग्विधैः: by various kinds
• पृथग्विधैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय/पूर्वपद) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः = 'of separate kinds/various'

Speaker

Deductive: Skanda (Kārttikeya) narrating within Āvantya Khaṇḍa’s Reva Khaṇḍa frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sweeping view of increasingly dreadful regions where humans suffer, with three symbolic streams overlaying the scene: dark thought-clouds (mānasika), sharp speech-glyphs (vācika), and heavy chains/tools (karmāja) indicating distinct sources of torment.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires purity in speech, mind, and action; harm in any of these channels ripens into suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Reva Khaṇḍa’s larger canvas is the Revā/Narmadā sacred region, but this verse focuses on ethical causality rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is given; the implied prescription is restraint and ethical discipline in thought, word, and deed.