Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

चाटुतस्करदुर्वृत्तान् हन्यान्नस्त्यस्य पातकम् । न द्रष्टव्यो मया पापः स्तेयी कन्यापहारकः

Transliteration

cāṭutaskaradurvṛttān hanyānnastyasya pātakam | na draṣṭavyo mayā pāpaḥ steyī kanyāpahārakaḥ

Translation

Jika seseorang membunuh pencuri yang suka mengampu dan berkelakuan jahat sedemikian, tiada dosa padanya. Pendosa ini—pencuri dan penculik gadis—malah tidak patut dipandang olehku.

Word by Word

• चाटु-तस्कर-दुर्वृत्तान्: flatterers, thieves, and the ill-conducted (people)
• चाटु-तस्कर-दुर्वृत्तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाटु (प्रातिपदिक) + तस्कर (प्रातिपदिक) + दुर्वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्वः (समाहार/समुच्चयार्थः)

• हन्यात्: should kill / should slay
• हन्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• अस्ति: is / exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अस्य: of him / for him
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पातकम्: sin
• पातकम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• द्रष्टव्यः: should be seen
• द्रष्टव्यः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (तव्यत्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः (gerundive: ‘to be seen/should be seen’)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पापः: the sinner
• पापः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्तेयी: a thief
• स्तेयी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तेयिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कन्या-अपहारकः: abductor of a maiden
• कन्या-अपहारकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक) + अपहारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कन्यायाः अपहारकः)

Speaker

King (implied, issuing harsh moral judgment)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wrathful king in court denounces a supposed thief/maiden-abductor, refusing even to look at him; guards stand ready; the accused appears ascetic yet bound, creating tension between appearance and truth.

Characters & Entities

• King
• Thief (taskara/steyī)
• Maiden-abductor (kanyāpahāraka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse underscores danda-nīti: society must be protected from predatory adharma, especially crimes against women and the abuse of religious guise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the focus is on ethical governance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it concerns punishment and moral condemnation rather than ritual.