Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

पापं पृथुतरं यस्य पुण्यमल्पतरं भवेत् । पूर्वं सुखी ततो दुःखी मिश्रस्यैतद्धि लक्षणम्

Transliteration

pāpaṃ pṛthutaraṃ yasya puṇyamalpataraṃ bhavet | pūrvaṃ sukhī tato duḥkhī miśrasyaitaddhi lakṣaṇam

Translation

యస్య పాపము అధికమై పుణ్యము అల్పమైతే, వాడు మొదట సుఖమును అనుభవించి తరువాత దుఃఖమును పొందును—ఇదే మిశ్రకర్మ లక్షణము.

Word by Word

• पापम्: sin, demerit
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; here as predicate-nominative/accusative sense depending on construction

• पृथुतरम्: greater, more extensive
• पृथुतरम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पृथु (प्रातिपदिक) + तर (तद्धित-प्रत्यय, comparative)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तुलनात्मक (comparative)

• यस्य: of whom, whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; relative pronoun

• पुण्यम्: merit, virtue
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• अल्पतरम्: smaller, lesser
• अल्पतरम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + तर (तद्धित-प्रत्यय, comparative)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तुलनात्मक (comparative)

• भवेत्: may be, would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; parasmaipada

• पूर्वम्: formerly, at first
• पूर्वम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• सुखी: happy
• सुखी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुखिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; predicative adjective

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक/अपादानार्थक (then/from that)

• दुःखी: unhappy, suffering
• दुःखी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःखिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; predicative adjective

• मिश्रस्य: of the mixed (type/state)
• मिश्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मिश्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (निपात)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• लक्षणम्: characteristic, mark
• लक्षणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; predicate noun

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral allegory: a person enjoying royal comforts under a bright sun, while behind him gathers a dark storm-cloud labeled pāpa; later the scene reverses—comfort fades, suffering arrives—illustrating mixed karma’s delayed turn.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly comfort can precede later suffering when hidden sin predominates; karma may mature after an initial pleasant phase.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it functions as a moral warning to correct conduct before consequences ripen.