Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

स्वभाव एव क्रूराणां नास्तिकानां दुरात्मनाम् । आत्मानं पातयंत्येव पातयंत्यपरं च यत्

Transliteration

svabhāva eva krūrāṇāṃ nāstikānāṃ durātmanām | ātmānaṃ pātayaṃtyeva pātayaṃtyaparaṃ ca yat

Translation

ਕ੍ਰੂਰਾਂ, ਨਾਸਤਿਕਾਂ ਤੇ ਦੁਰਾਤਮਾਂ ਦਾ ਇਹੀ ਸੁਭਾਉ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਉਹ ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਨੂੰ ਹੀ ਪਤਨ ਵੱਲ ਧੱਕਦੇ ਹਨ ਅਤੇ ਨਾਲ ਹੀ ਹੋਰਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਵੀ ਡੁਬੋ ਦਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ।

Word by Word

• स्वभावः: nature
• स्वभावः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्य भावः)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• क्रूराणाम्: of the cruel
• क्रूराणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• नास्तिकानाम्: of atheists
• नास्तिकानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नास्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• दुरात्मनाम्: of evil-souled (people)
• दुरात्मनाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुरात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (दुर् + आत्मन्)

• आत्मानम्: themselves
• आत्मानम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पातयन्ति: they bring down
• पातयन्ति: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; णिजन्त (causative) ‘to cause to fall’

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• पातयन्ति: they bring down
• पातयन्ति: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; णिजन्त

• अपरम्: another (too)
• अपरम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘other (person/thing)’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• यत्: which/that (fact)
• यत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun, correlating to implied तत्)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Allegorical image: a cruel man cuts the branch he sits on while also pulling another person down; dharma is depicted as a steady tree, adharma as an axe that rebounds.

Characters & Entities

• nāstika
• dharma (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cruelty and denial of dharma are self-destructive and socially destructive; such traits cause one’s fall and harm others.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse delivers a general dharmic maxim within the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it functions as a moral warning about character and consequence.