Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

प्रतिश्रुत्य दुरात्मानो न प्रयच्छंति ये नराः । कपे सृगालयोनिं ते प्राप्नुवंत्यतिकुत्सिताम्

Transliteration

pratiśrutya durātmāno na prayacchaṃti ye narāḥ | kape sṛgālayoniṃ te prāpnuvaṃtyatikutsitām

Translation

ดูก่อนกปิ! ชนผู้มีใจชั่ว เมื่อให้คำมั่นแล้วไม่ให้ทาน ย่อมไปสู่ครรภ์สุนัขจิ้งจอกอันน่ารังเกียจยิ่ง

Word by Word

• प्रतिश्रुत्य: having promised
• प्रतिश्रुत्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati-√śru (धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), उपसर्गः प्रति-; अर्थः ‘प्रतिज्ञां कृत्वा/श्रुत्वा’

• दुरात्मानः: evil-minded (persons)
• दुरात्मानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dur-ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (दुरः आत्मा यस्य/दुरात्मा)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• प्रयच्छन्ति: give
• प्रयच्छन्ति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√yam (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; ‘प्रयच्छति’ = ददाति

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• नराः: men
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• कपे: O monkey
• कपे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• सृगालयोनिम्: a jackal-womb/birth as a jackal
• सृगालयोनिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sṛgāla-yoni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सृगालस्य योनिः)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्राप्नुवन्ति: attain
• प्राप्नुवन्ति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√āp (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• अतिकुत्सिताम्: most contemptible
• अतिकुत्सिताम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ati-kutsita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (योनिम्) ; उपसर्गपूर्वक-तत्पुरुषः (अत्यन्तं कुत्सिता)

Speaker

Sṛgāla (jackal)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu/Setubandha (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Plavaṅgama/Kapi (monkey) addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral tableau: a man who promised a gift turns away empty-handed; a brāhmaṇa stands calm yet grave; behind, the shadowy form of a jackal symbolizes karmic descent; the setting hints at a coastal tīrtha with pilgrims and banners of vows.

Characters & Entities

• Pratiśruti
• Dāna
• Sṛgāla-yoni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A promise binds morally; breaking a vowed gift is treated as a serious adharma with painful rebirth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setu-khaṇḍa’s pilgrimage framework is the setting; the verse itself emphasizes dharma rather than naming a specific tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not retract pledged dāna; fulfil what has been promised.