Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

मरणांतो विधिः कार्यो कामेन हि कृतेन हि । अज्ञानजनिते पापे प्रायश्चित्तं विधीयते

Transliteration

maraṇāṃto vidhiḥ kāryo kāmena hi kṛtena hi | ajñānajanite pāpe prāyaścittaṃ vidhīyate

Translation

การกระทำที่ทำด้วยความจงใจนั้น บทบัญญัติย่อมหนักถึงขั้นจบลงด้วยความตาย; แต่บาปที่เกิดจากความไม่รู้ ย่อมมีปรายัศจิตตะกำหนดไว้

Word by Word

• मरणान्तः: ending with death
• मरणान्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मरण + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मरणस्य अन्तः) — 'ending with death'

• विधिः: rule/observance
• विधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• कार्यः: must be performed
• कार्यः: Kriya (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (यत्); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; 'to be done/required'

• कामेन: with desire/intent
• कामेन: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात

• कृतेन: when/if committed
• कृतेन: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन; 'by what is done/when done' (instrumental)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात

• अज्ञानजनिते: in (a sin) produced by ignorance
• अज्ञानजनिते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अज्ञानजनित (प्रातिपदिक: अज्ञान + जनित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (अज्ञानात् जनितम्)

• पापे: in sin
• पापे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: expiation
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• विधीयते: is prescribed
• विधीयते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + धा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि (passive)

Speaker

Bṛhaspati

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A penitent stands waist-deep in icy water beneath towering snowy peaks, while a sage pronounces that willful sin may require penance unto death; the sky is overcast, emphasizing gravity.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhaspati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Willful wrongdoing is treated as spiritually and socially most grave, while ignorance-born faults allow structured purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is doctrinal and does not name a tīrtha, though it belongs to the Kedārakhaṇḍa sacred geography narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It contrasts a ‘death-ending ordinance’ for deliberate sin with prāyaścitta for ignorance-born sin; no specific rite is enumerated.