Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

मार्ज्जारकुक्कुटश्वानपक्षिपोष्टा प्रयाति च । बधिरांधगृहक्षेत्रतृणधान्यादिज्वालकः

Transliteration

mārjjārakukkuṭaśvānapakṣipoṣṭā prayāti ca | badhirāṃdhagṛhakṣetratṛṇadhānyādijvālakaḥ

Translation

ผู้เลี้ยงและทำให้แมว ไก่ตัวผู้ สุนัข และนกอ้วนพี ก็ย่อมไปสู่ชะตากรรมนั้น. และผู้จุดไฟเผาบ้านหรือทุ่งนาของคนหูหนวกและคนตาบอด—เผาหญ้า ธัญพืช และสิ่งอื่น—ย่อมได้รับผลกรรมอันร้ายแรง.

Word by Word

• मार्ज्जारकुक्कुटश्वानपक्षिपोष्टा: one who keeps/care-takes cats, cocks, dogs, and birds
• मार्ज्जारकुक्कुटश्वानपक्षिपोष्टा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ज्जार + कुक्कुट + श्वान + पक्षि + पोष्टृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (मार्ज्जारादीनां पोष्टा)

• प्रयाति: goes
• प्रयाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• बधिरांधगृहक्षेत्रतृणधान्यादिज्वालकः: burner of the houses/fields/grass/grain etc. of the deaf and blind
• बधिरांधगृहक्षेत्रतृणधान्यादिज्वालकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बधिर + अन्ध + गृह + क्षेत्र + तृण + धान्य + आदि + ज्वालक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (बधिर-अन्ध-गृह-क्षेत्र-तृण-धान्य-आदि ज्वालयति)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narrative convention)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/seekers

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two-part moral scene: (1) A person feeding and fattening cats, cocks, dogs, and birds in a cruel context (suggesting training for fights/harm), watched by yamadūtas noting the act; (2) An arsonist setting fire to a small hut and field belonging to blind/deaf elders; flames consume grass and grain; later, the arsonist is shown engulfed by punitive fire in the underworld.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cruelty, exploitation, and destructive acts—especially against the vulnerable—are heavy adharma with severe consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse warns against harmful conduct (particularly arson and violence).