Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 110

Devanagari script

आः पापं कृतमित्येव देहन्यासेऽकरोन्मतिम् । ततस्तं खेचरी वाणी प्राह मा मरणं कुरु

Transliteration

āḥ pāpaṃ kṛtamityeva dehanyāse'karonmatim | tatastaṃ khecarī vāṇī prāha mā maraṇaṃ kuru

Translation

“ਹਾਏ! ਮੈਂ ਪਾਪ ਕਰ ਬੈਠਾ ਹਾਂ”—ਇਉਂ ਸੋਚ ਕੇ ਉਸ ਨੇ ਦੇਹ ਤਿਆਗਣ ਦਾ ਨਿਸ਼ਚਯ ਕੀਤਾ। ਤਦ ਆਕਾਸ਼ੀ ਵਾਣੀ ਬੋਲੀ: “ਮੌਤ ਨਾ ਕਰ, ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਨੂੰ ਨਾਸ ਨਾ ਕਰ।”

Word by Word

• आः: alas!
• आः: Sambandha (Exclamation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आः (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मय/खेद-बोधक उद्गार (interjection)

• पापम्: sin/evil
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कृतम्: done/committed
• कृतम्: Kriya (Predicative action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (इति-वाक्ये)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्य-समाप्ति सूचक अव्यय (quotative)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-बोधक अव्यय (emphasis)

• देहन्यासे: in/at the placing of the body (deposition)
• देहन्यासे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह-न्यास (प्रातिपदिक; देह + न्यास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• अकरोत्: made/directed
• अकरोत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मतिम्: thought/intention
• मतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/क्रम-वाचक अव्यय (thereafter)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• खेचरी: moving in the sky (celestial)
• खेचरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: खेचरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (vāṇī)

• वाणी: a voice/speech
• वाणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अह्/ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मा: do not
• मा: Sambandha (Prohibition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (prohibitive particle)

• मरणम्: death
• मरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कुरु: do
• कुरु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating; the immediate utterance is by a Khecarī Vāṇī (celestial voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agni, shaken, turns inward with the thought of bodily abandonment; above, an unseen celestial voice manifests as luminous script or radiance, halting him with a command.

Characters & Entities

• Khecarī Vāṇī (celestial voice)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remorse should lead to correction and atonement, not self-harm; dharma restrains despair and encourages right resolution.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the focus is moral counsel delivered through a divine voice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is stated; the verse implies the need for prāyaścitta (atonement) rather than death.