Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

कुनखी स्वर्णहरणाद्दुःश्चर्मा गुरुतल्पगः । संयोगी हीनयोनिः स्याद्दरिद्रोऽदत्तदानतः

Transliteration

kunakhī svarṇaharaṇādduḥścarmā gurutalpagaḥ | saṃyogī hīnayoniḥ syāddaridro'dattadānataḥ

Translation

ผู้ลักทองย่อมเป็นโรคเล็บพิกล; ผู้ล่วงละเมิดแท่นบรรทมของครูอาจารย์ย่อมทุกข์ด้วยโรคผิวหนังอันร้ายแรง ผู้ร่วมสัมพันธ์ต้องห้ามย่อมเกิดในครรภ์ต่ำทราม; และผู้ไม่ให้ทานอันควรให้ย่อมยากจน

Word by Word

• कुनखी: one with deformed nails
• कुनखी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुनखिन् (प्रातिपदिक) = कु (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + नखिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (कु-नखः यस्य)

• स्वर्णहरणात्: from stealing gold
• स्वर्णहरणात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्णहरण (प्रातिपदिक) = स्वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + हरण (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (स्वर्णस्य हरणम्)

• दुःश्चर्मा: one with diseased skin
• दुःश्चर्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःशर्मन्/दुःचर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) = दुः (अव्यय-पूर्वपद) + चर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (दुष्टं चर्म यस्य)

• गुरुतल्पगः: one who violates the teacher’s bed
• गुरुतल्पगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरुतल्पग (प्रातिपदिक) = गुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + तल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (गम्-धातु-आधारित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (गुरोः तल्पं गच्छति/सेवते)

• संयोगी: one afflicted with disease/association (saṃyoga)
• संयोगी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संयोगिन् (प्रातिपदिक) < सम्+युज् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हीनयोनिः: of low birth/species
• हीनयोनिः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate nominative/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हीनयोनि (प्रातिपदिक) = हीन (प्रातिपदिक) + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (हीना योनि: यस्य/हीन-योनि:)

• स्यात्: would become
• स्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दरिद्रः: poor person
• दरिद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दरिद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अदत्तदानतः: from not giving (charity)
• अदत्तदानतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदत्तदान (प्रातिपदिक) = अ (नञ्) + दत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (अदत्तं दानं यस्य/अदत्तदानम्)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Four moral vignettes: a thief with distorted nails clutching gold, a transgressor suffering skin disease, a couple in illicit union leading to a lowly rebirth symbol, and a miser turning away a supplicant, followed by poverty imagery.

Characters & Entities

• guru
• svarṇa (gold)
• dāna (charity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse ties social and sexual ethics, theft, and charity to karmic embodiment—urging restraint, honesty, and generosity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it appears as general karmic instruction within the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna is implicitly upheld: withholding giving leads to poverty; however, no detailed rite is specified.