Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

स्त्रीबालवृद्धदीनानां छिद्रमन्वेषयन्ति ये । पच्यन्ते तत्र मध्ये वै क्रन्दमानाः सुपापिनः

Transliteration

strībālavṛddhadīnānāṃ chidramanveṣayanti ye | pacyante tatra madhye vai krandamānāḥ supāpinaḥ

Translation

ผู้ใดเที่ยวสอดส่องหา ‘ช่องโหว่’ ในสตรี เด็ก คนชรา และผู้ยากไร้ไร้ที่พึ่ง คนบาปใหญ่เหล่านั้นถูกต้มอยู่ที่นั่นท่ามกลางความทรมาน ร่ำไห้คร่ำครวญเสียงดัง

Word by Word

• स्त्रीबालवृद्धदीनानाम्: of women, children, the old, and the poor
• स्त्रीबालवृद्धदीनानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री + बाल + वृद्ध + दीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masc. as generic), षष्ठी (6th case/genitive), बहुवचनम् (plural)

• छिद्रम्: a flaw, a weak point
• छिद्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छिद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः (neut.), द्वितीया (2nd case/acc.), एकवचनम् (singular)

• अन्वेषयन्ति: they search for
• अन्वेषयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-√इष्/√एष् (धातु; अन्वेष्)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), बहुवचनम् (plural)

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masc.), प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचनम् (plural)

• पच्यन्ते: they are cooked/burned (they suffer)
• पच्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), बहुवचनम् (plural)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (adverb of place)

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः (neut.), सप्तमी (7th case/loc.), एकवचनम् (singular)

• वै: indeed, surely
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (particle/emphasis)

• क्रन्दमानाः: crying, wailing
• क्रन्दमानाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √क्रन्द् (धातु) + शतृ (वर्तमान-कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masc.), प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचनम् (plural); वर्तमानकालिकः शतृ-प्रत्ययान्तः (present active participle)

• सुपापिनः: great sinners
• सुपापिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + पापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masc.), प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचनम् (plural)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (general)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark scene of moral consequence: vulnerable groups are shown sheltered under dharma’s canopy, while aggressors who hunt for ‘pretexts’ are depicted in a fiery punitive cauldron, crying out.

Characters & Entities

• Women
• Children
• Elderly
• Helpless

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma demands protection of the vulnerable; predatory fault-finding and harm leads to severe karmic punishment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting remains Revā-māhātmya; the tīrtha’s glory is paired with strict ethical warnings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a moral prohibition against exploiting vulnerable persons.