Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

प्राणांतिकं पुरा दत्तं यैर्दुःखं प्राणिनां नरैः । अपराधं विना तेऽत्र पच्यंते वालुकोत्करैः

Transliteration

prāṇāṃtikaṃ purā dattaṃ yairduḥkhaṃ prāṇināṃ naraiḥ | aparādhaṃ vinā te'tra pacyaṃte vālukotkaraiḥ

Translation

குற்றமில்லாத உயிர்களுக்கு முன்பு உயிர் பறிக்கும் துன்பம் அளித்தவர்கள் இங்கே சூடான மணற்குவியல்களில் ‘சமைக்கப்படுகின்றனர்’.

Word by Word

• प्राणान्तिकम्: life-ending, fatal
• प्राणान्तिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'प्राणानाम् अन्तिकम्' इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; 'दुःखम्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Adverb: formerly)

• दत्तम्: given/inflicted
• दत्तम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'दुःखम्' सह कर्म-निर्देशः (given)

• यैः: by whom
• यैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, बहुवचन

• दुःखम्: pain, suffering
• दुःखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्राणिनाम्: of living beings
• प्राणिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• अपराधम्: offence, wrongdoing
• अपराधम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपराध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Nishedha/Apavada (Exclusion/अपवाद)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Preposition-like particle: 'without'; governs accusative)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Locative adverb)

• पच्यन्ते: are cooked/tormented
• पच्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• वालुकोत्करैः: by heaps of sand
• वालुकोत्करैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वालुका (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; 'वालुकानाम् उत्कराः' इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; करणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Infernal desert: heaps of blazing sand (vāluka-otkara) glow like embers; sinners writhe as if roasted; attendants rake the sand, evoking the heat of inflicted suffering.

Characters & Entities

• Prāṇin (living beings)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unprovoked cruelty toward beings violates ahimsā and returns as intense suffering; dharma protects the innocent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it is part of the chapter’s karmic instruction within the Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the implied observance is compassion (dayā) and non-violence (ahiṃsā).