Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

पुत्रघ्नं विद्धि मां विप्र तीव्रदण्डेन दण्डय । मृगभ्रान्त्या हतो विप्र ऋक्षशृङ्गो महातपाः

Transliteration

putraghnaṃ viddhi māṃ vipra tīvradaṇḍena daṇḍaya | mṛgabhrāntyā hato vipra ṛkṣaśṛṅgo mahātapāḥ

Translation

"Ketahuilah hamba, wahai Brahmana, sebagai pembunuh anakanda; hukumlah hamba dengan hukuman yang berat. Kerana menyangka rusa, wahai Brahmana, hamba membunuh Rksasrnga, pertapa agung itu."

Word by Word

• पुत्रघ्नम्: (as) a son-killer
• पुत्रघ्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र + घ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘पुत्रस्य घ्नः’ = son-killer)

• विद्धि: know, consider
• विद्धि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विप्र: O brahmin
• विप्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तीव्रदण्डेन: with a severe punishment
• तीव्रदण्डेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीव्र + दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (‘तीव्रः दण्डः’ = severe punishment/rod)

• दण्डय: punish
• दण्डय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दण्डय्/दण्ड (नामधातु/धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; causative/denominative sense ‘to punish’

• मृगभ्रान्त्या: due to mistaking (him) for a deer
• मृगभ्रान्त्या: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग + भ्रान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘मृगस्य भ्रान्तिः’ = mistaken for a deer)

• हतः: killed
• हतः: Karma (Patient/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• विप्र: O brahmin
• विप्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ऋक्षशृङ्गः: Ṛkṣaśṛṅga (name)
• ऋक्षशृङ्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋक्ष + शृङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (नाम-समास; proper name)

• महातपाः: great ascetic
• महातपाः: Pradhana-visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (‘महान् तपाः’ = great ascetic)

Speaker

Citrasena

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa sage (bereaved father)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Citraseṇa openly declares himself ‘putraghna’ (slayer of a son) and asks for severe punishment; the slain ascetic Ṛkṣaśṛṅga is referenced as killed by mistaking him for a deer.

Characters & Entities

• Citrasena
• Ṛkṣaśṛṅga
• brāhmaṇa/vipra (Dīrghatapā, implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires accountability: even unintended harm calls for confession and willingness to accept corrective punishment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

While no single tīrtha is named in this verse, the Revā Khaṇḍa context links the episode to the sacred Narmadā-region hermitage culture.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse indicates daṇḍa (punitive correction) as a dharmic response; specific prāyaścitta rites are not detailed here.