Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

स्वकर्म विहिते घोरे कामक्सोधार्जिते शुभे । निमज्जेन्नरके घोरे यस्योत्तारो न विद्यते

Transliteration

svakarma vihite ghore kāmaksodhārjite śubhe | nimajjennarake ghore yasyottāro na vidyate

Translation

Apabila perbuatan sendiri menjadi mengerikan—meski tampak ‘baik’ namun diperoleh melalui nafsu dan amarah—maka seseorang tenggelam ke dalam neraka yang dahsyat, yang tiada jalan penyelamatannya.

Word by Word

• स्वकर्म: one’s own action
• स्वकर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (स्वस्य कर्म)

• विहिते: when prescribed/ordained
• विहिते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-√धा (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग सप्तमी एकवचन; ‘स्वकर्म’ इत्यस्मिन् (locative absolute nuance)

• घोरे: terrible
• घोरे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग सप्तमी एकवचन; ‘विहिते’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• काम: desire
• काम: Samasa-anga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप (समासाङ्ग)

• क्रोध: anger
• क्रोध: Samasa-anga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप (समासाङ्ग)

• अर्जिते: when acquired
• अर्जिते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √अर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग सप्तमी एकवचन; ‘स्वकर्म’ इत्यस्मिन् (locative absolute nuance)

• शुभे: (even) auspicious
• शुभे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग सप्तमी एकवचन; ‘अर्जिते’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• निमज्जेत्: would sink/fall
• निमज्जेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√मज्ज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नरके: in hell
• नरके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन (Locative singular)

• घोरे: terrible
• घोरे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग सप्तमी एकवचन; ‘नरके’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन (Genitive singular)

• उत्तारः: rescue/escape
• उत्तारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्-√तॄ (धातु) + घञ् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• विद्यते: exists/is found
• विद्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic voice; continuing address to a king in the adhyāya)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpa/mahārāja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral allegory: a person offering ‘charity’ with a face twisted by pride/anger, while shadowy messengers of Yama appear; contrasted with a humble donor bathed in light.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even outwardly ‘good’ acts become spiritually ruinous when driven by desire and anger; purity of motive and dharma are essential.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The next verses explicitly move to Narakeśvara Mahātīrtha on the Narmadā as a means of deliverance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No rite is specified here; it warns against kāma-krodha as the inner cause of downfall.