Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

हाहा कष्टं कृतं तेन येनाहं घातितोऽधुना । कस्यैषा दुर्मतिर्जाता पापबुद्धेर्ममोपरि

Transliteration

hāhā kaṣṭaṃ kṛtaṃ tena yenāhaṃ ghātito'dhunā | kasyaiṣā durmatirjātā pāpabuddhermamopari

Translation

อนิจจา! กรรมอันเลวร้ายได้ถูกกระทำโดยผู้ที่สังหารข้าพเจ้า จิตใจอันชั่วร้ายของผู้ใดหนอที่มุ่งร้ายต่อข้าพเจ้าเช่นนี้?

Word by Word

• हाहा: alas!
• हाहा: Sambodhana/Exclamation (उद्गार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हाहा (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: उद्गार/विस्मयादि-निपात (interjection)

• कष्टम्: a misfortune; trouble
• कष्टम्: Karma/Predicate nominal (कर्म/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative sg.)

• कृतम्: done; committed
• कृतम्: Karma/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थं (past passive participle: 'done')

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (instrumental sg.)

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (instrumental sg.)

• अहम्: me; I
• अहम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (1st person pronoun, nominative sg.)

• घातितः: was killed/struck down
• घातितः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: घातय् (णिच्) ← हन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (past passive participle: 'caused to be killed/struck')

• अधुना: now
• अधुना: Adverbial (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधुना (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• कस्य: of whom?
• कस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन (genitive sg.)

• एषा: this (she/this one)
• एषा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (fem. nominative sg.)

• दुर्मतिः: evil intention; wicked thought
• दुर्मतिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—दुर् + मतिः (upapada/tatpurusha: 'bad-mindedness')

• जाता: has arisen
• जाता: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/भावे कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'उत्पन्ना' (born/arisen)

• पापबुद्धेः: of the sinful-minded one
• पापबुद्धेः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापबुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—पापा बुद्धिः (कर्मधारय: 'sinful intellect')

• मम: of me; my
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन (genitive sg.)

• उपरि: upon; against
• उपरि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उपरि (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्गसदृश-अव्यय/संबन्धबोधक (postposition/adverb)

Speaker

Ṛkṣaśṛṅga (the injured sage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tirtha-belt (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wounded ascetic/brāhmaṇa’s lament in a forest-edge near a sacred river; the atmosphere is heavy with remorse, the body fallen or struck, eyes lifted in anguish.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛkṣaśṛṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Harming the harmless is a dharmic disaster; the verse underscores the moral weight of intention and the tragedy of misdirected violence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this lament; it belongs to the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.