Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

अहो पापीयसी घोरा चांडाली कथमर्हति । दिव्यं विमानमारोढुं शुनीवाध्वरमंडलम्

Transliteration

aho pāpīyasī ghorā cāṃḍālī kathamarhati | divyaṃ vimānamāroḍhuṃ śunīvādhvaramaṃḍalam

Translation

అయ్యో! మహాపాపాత్మురాలు, భయంకరమైన ఈ చండాల స్త్రీ దివ్య విమానాన్ని ఎక్కడానికి ఎలా అర్హురాలు? యజ్ఞవాటికలోకి కుక్క ప్రవేశించినట్లుగా ఉందే!

Word by Word

• अहो: alas!/oh!
• अहो: Sambodhana/Exclamation (सम्बोधन/विस्मय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aho (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विस्मयादिबोधक-निपात (interjection/particle of exclamation)

• पापीयसी: more sinful
• पापीयसी: Visheshana (विशेषण) of चांडाली
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); एकवचन; तृतीय-तुल्यतम-प्रत्ययान्त (comparative degree: “more sinful”)

• घोरा: terrible
• घोरा: Visheshana (विशेषण) of चांडाली
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• चांडाली: a caṇḍāla woman (outcaste woman)
• चांडाली: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाण्डालिन्/चाण्डाली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक-क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• अर्हति: is worthy/deserves
• अर्हति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन

• दिव्यम्: divine
• दिव्यम्: Visheshana (विशेषण) of विमानम्
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• विमानम्: a celestial chariot/vehicle
• विमानम्: Karma (कर्म) of implied ‘to mount’
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• आरोढुम्: to mount/ascend
• आरोढुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन) / Kriyārtha (क्रियार्थ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-रुह् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive); कर्तरि प्रयोग (infinitive of purpose)

• शुनी: a female dog
• शुनी: Upamāna (उपमान) with इव
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• इव: like/as
• इव: Upamā (उपमा) marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक-निपात (particle of comparison)

• अध्वरमण्डलम्: the sacrificial enclosure/ritual arena
• अध्वरमण्डलम्: Karma (कर्म) of implied ‘to enter/approach’ (contextual)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: “of the sacrifice”)

Speaker

Yamadūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine vimāna descends; celestial attendants prepare to lift a marginalized woman while orthodox onlookers recoil, comparing her entry to a she-dog in a yajña enclosure; tension between heaven’s invitation and society’s rejection.

Characters & Entities

• Caṇḍālī
• Vimāna
• Adhvara (sacrifice)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse dramatizes a common objection—judging worthiness by sin and social stigma—setting the stage for the doctrine of Śiva’s grace surpassing such measures.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the imagery uses the sacrificial arena as a metaphor for exclusion.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No prescription; it references the adhvara-maṇḍala (sacrificial ground) as a cultural symbol of ritual purity.