Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

कुत्सितं च कृतं कर्म राज्ञा चण्डालचारिणा । ब्राह्मणो नैव वध्यो हि विशेषेण तपोवृतः

Transliteration

kutsitaṃ ca kṛtaṃ karma rājñā caṇḍālacāriṇā | brāhmaṇo naiva vadhyo hi viśeṣeṇa tapovṛtaḥ

Translation

การกระทำอันน่ารังเกียจยิ่งได้ถูกกระทำแล้วโดยพระราชาผู้ประพฤติตนดั่งจัณฑาล เพราะพราหมณ์เป็นผู้ไม่ควรถูกฆ่า โดยเฉพาะอย่างยิ่งผู้ที่มุ่งมั่นในตบะและวัตรปฏิบัติ

Word by Word

• कुत्सितम्: blameworthy
• कुत्सितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुत्सित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (कर्मणः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• कृतम्: done
• कृतम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि

• कर्म: deed
• कर्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• राज्ञा: by the king
• राज्ञा: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• चण्डाल-चारिणा: acting like a caṇḍāla
• चण्डाल-चारिणा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चण्डाल (प्रातिपदिक) + चारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (चण्डालेषु/चण्डालवत् चारिन् = one who behaves like a caṇḍāla)

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (indeed/just)

• वध्यः: to be killed
• वध्यः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वध् (धातु) + यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (यत्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः (fit to be killed)

• हि: for / indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये-अव्यय (for/indeed)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषण (instrumental used adverbially: ‘especially’)

• तपो-वृतः: observing austerity (austere)
• तपो-वृतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + वृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (तपसा वृतः/तपोव्रतधारी)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (narrative voice, inferred)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā tīra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Elders/citizens condemn the king’s deed, calling him caṇḍāla-like in behavior; the focus is on moral speech—hands raised in admonition, faces stern yet sorrowful; the slain/impaled dvija is implied as a tapasvin.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A ruler’s legitimacy rests on dharma; harming the innocent—especially the vow-bound ascetic—brings severe moral downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa’s Narmadā-region sanctity is the backdrop; this verse is primarily a dharma-statement, not a tīrtha eulogy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it states a prohibition grounded in dharma (non-slaying of a brāhmaṇa).