Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

सुरापः सूकरं याति तालं मिथ्याम नुष्यहा । गुरुतल्पी तप्तकुम्भं तप्तलोहं च भक्तहा

Transliteration

surāpaḥ sūkaraṃ yāti tālaṃ mithyāma nuṣyahā | gurutalpī taptakumbhaṃ taptalohaṃ ca bhaktahā

Translation

Peminum arak menjadi babi; pembunuh manusia jatuh ke Tāla; pelanggar ranjang guru jatuh ke Taptakumbha; dan pembunuh seorang bhakta jatuh ke Taptaloha.

Word by Word

• सुरापः: a drinker of liquor
• सुरापः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुराप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक-नाम

• सूकरम्: (to) a pig (womb/state)
• सूकरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; गत्यर्थक-क्रियायाः गन्तव्य-स्थान/योनि-निर्देश

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• तालम्: (to) a palm-tree (state)
• तालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; गन्तव्य-स्थान/योनि-निर्देश

• मिथ्याम्: falsely
• मिथ्याम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मिथ्या (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• नुष्यहा: a slayer of humans
• नुष्यहा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नुष्यह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; (पाठभेद/दुर्लभ-रूप) ‘मनुष्यहा/नृशंस’ इत्यर्थे

• गुरुतल्पी: one who violates the teacher’s bed
• गुरुतल्पी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु + तल्पिन् (प्रातिपदिक); ‘गुरुतल्प’ इति समासाधार
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गुरोः तल्पम्) + ‘-इन्’ प्रत्ययान्त

• तप्तकुम्भम्: (to) a heated pot (hell)
• तप्तकुम्भम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तप्त + कुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (तप्तः कुम्भः)

• तप्तलोहम्: (to) molten/heated iron (hell)
• तप्तलोहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तप्त + लोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (तप्तं लोहम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• भक्तहा: a slayer of devotees
• भक्तहा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्त + ह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (भक्तं हन्ति)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narrative convention)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-seekers / sages (typical Purāṇic audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: Yama’s court with scribes (Citragupta) reading charges; four sinners shown in vignettes—liquor-drinker transforming into a pig; murderer dragged toward a deep pit labeled Tāla; adulterer with guru’s wife plunged into a boiling cauldron (Taptakumbha); bhakta-slayer forced onto a red-hot iron plane (Taptaloha).

Characters & Entities

• Guru
• Bhakta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Major transgressions—intoxication, murder, sexual violation of the guru’s trust, and harming devotees—lead to grave karmic outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse is a dharma-śikṣā passage on prohibited acts and their results.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No expiation (prāyaścitta) is stated in this verse; it only assigns consequences.