Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

मार्कण्डेय उवाच । पुरा शप्तो मुनीन्द्रेण दक्षेण किल भारत । असेवनाद्धि दाराणां क्षयरोगी भविष्यसि

Transliteration

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca | purā śapto munīndreṇa dakṣeṇa kila bhārata | asevanāddhi dārāṇāṃ kṣayarogī bhaviṣyasi

Translation

มารกัณฑेयกล่าวว่า: ดูก่อนภารตะ กาลก่อนโสมะถูกมหามุนีทักษะสาปว่า ‘เพราะเจ้าไม่สมสู่กับภรรยาทั้งหลายโดยชอบตามธรรม เจ้าย่อมจักประสบโรคซูบผอม (กษยโรค)’

Word by Word

• मार्कण्डेयः: Mārkaṇḍeya
• मार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पुरा: formerly, once
• पुरा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• शप्तः: cursed
• शप्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शप्त (कृदन्त; √शप् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मुनीन्द्रेण: by the lord of sages
• मुनीन्द्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (munīnām indraḥ)

• दक्षेण: by Dakṣa
• दक्षेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• किल: indeed, it is said
• किल: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/hearsay)

• भारत: O Bhārata
• भारत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• असेवनात्: from non-service (non-intercourse)
• असेवनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-सेवन (प्रातिपदिक; √सेव् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

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

• दाराणाम्: of (one’s) wives
• दाराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• क्षयरोगी: one afflicted with consumption (wasting disease)
• क्षयरोगी: Karta-predicative (Subject complement/विशेष्य-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षय + रोगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (kṣayasya rogaḥ → kṣayarogaḥ; तद्वान् = रोगिन्)

• भविष्यसि: you will become
• भविष्यसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha-cycle (contextual frame)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (addressed as ‘O Bhārata’—a royal/heroic interlocutor within the frame narrative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya narrates the ancient curse: Dakṣa, austere and radiant, pronounces a śāpa upon Soma, whose lunar glow appears diminished, foreshadowing wasting disease.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Dakṣa
• Soma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Neglect of one’s dharmic responsibilities leads to downfall, while the Purāṇas also point toward remedies through repentance and sacred means.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly Somatīrtha, since the curse narrative sets up Soma’s later purification and siddhi at that site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the verse states the ethical cause (asevana) behind the curse and resulting affliction.