Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

मुनय ऊचुः । दुराचाराभिधः कोऽसौ सूत तत्त्वार्थकोविद । किंच पापं कृतं तेन दुराचारेण वै मुने

Transliteration

munaya ūcuḥ | durācārābhidhaḥ ko'sau sūta tattvārthakovida | kiṃca pāpaṃ kṛtaṃ tena durācāreṇa vai mune

Translation

เหล่ามุนีกล่าวว่า: โอ้สูต ผู้ชำนาญในตัตตวะและอรรถะ บุคคลที่ชื่อว่า ‘ทุราจาระ’ นั้นเป็นผู้ใด? และเขาผู้ประพฤติชั่วนั้นได้กระทำบาปสิ่งใดเล่า โอ้ฤๅษี

Word by Word

• मुनयः: the sages
• मुनयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद — Perfect, 3rd person, Plural

• दुराचाराभिधः: named ‘Durācāra’
• दुराचाराभिधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुराचार-अभिध (प्रातिपदिक; दुराचार + अभिध)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (असौ) — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Interrogative pronoun, Nominative, Singular

• असौ: that (person)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Demonstrative pronoun, Nominative, Singular

• सूत: O Sūta
• सूत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• तत्त्वार्थकोविद: O knower of the true meaning/reality
• तत्त्वार्थकोविद: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व-अर्थ-कोविद (प्रातिपदिक; तत्त्व + अर्थ + कोविद)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• किंच: and also; moreover
• किंच: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् + च (अव्यय-प्रयोग)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (and also/and what) — conjunctive particle

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कृतम्: done; committed
• कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; कृ + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त — Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular (agreeing with पापम्)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Kartr-karana (Agent/Instrument/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Instrumental, Singular

• दुराचारेण: by the evil conduct / by the evil-doer
• दुराचारेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुराचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis/indeed) — particle

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

Sages (Munis)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhanuṣkoṭi (topic of inquiry)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni-gaṇa / dvijāḥ sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of sages with matted hair and deer-skins, one sage leaning forward with raised hand in respectful questioning; Sūta sits poised to answer; palm-leaf manuscripts nearby, sacrificial fire in the center.

Characters & Entities

• Sages
• Sūta
• Durācāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic teaching proceeds through inquiry: understanding the nature of wrongdoing clarifies the greatness of purification and grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhanuṣkoṭi is the implied tīrtha, since the question concerns the one liberated there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription here; it sets up the account of how tīrtha-snānā removes sin.