Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 103

Devanagari script

शाल्मलीं तेऽवगूहन्ति परदाररता हि ये । परस्य योषितं हृत्वा ब्रह्मस्वमपहृत्य च

Transliteration

śālmalīṃ te'vagūhanti paradāraratā hi ye | parasya yoṣitaṃ hṛtvā brahmasvamapahṛtya ca

Translation

جو لوگ پرائی عورت کی رغبت میں مبتلا ہیں، انہیں شالمَلی (کانٹوں والے سیمل) کے درخت سے لپٹایا جاتا ہے؛ اور جو دوسرے کی عورت کو اغوا کریں یا برہمنوں کی ملکیت (برہما-سْوَ) چرائیں، وہ بھی اسی عذاب میں دھکیلے جاتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• śālmalīm: the śālmalī tree (silk-cotton tree)
• śālmalīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śālmalī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Feminine, Acc, Singular)

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nom, Plural)

• avagūhanti: hide/cover (themselves)
• avagūhanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava√gūh (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद (Present, 3rd person, Plural, Parasmaipada)

• para: another’s
• para: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रातिपदिक (compound member) (Stem used in compound)

• dāra: wife
• dāra: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (compound member) (Masculine stem, used in compound; ‘wife’)

• ratāḥ: attached to others’ wives
• ratāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः: para-dāra + ratāḥ (Masculine, Nom, Plural; determinative compound)

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

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nom, Plural)

• parasya: of another
• parasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular)

• yoṣitam: woman
• yoṣitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoṣit (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Feminine, Acc, Singular)

• hṛtvā: having taken/abducted
• hṛtvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √hṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय (Gerund, Indeclinable)

• brahmasvam: Brahmin’s property
• brahmasvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + sva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: brahman + svam (Neuter, Acc, Singular; ‘property of a Brahmin/Brahman’)

• apahṛtya: having stolen/robbed
• apahṛtya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: apa√hṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय (Gerund, Indeclinable)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced from Purāṇic narration style within Āvantya Khaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A gigantic Śālmalī tree bristling with long thorns; sinners compelled to clasp it, bodies pierced; Yama’s attendants drive them; the tree stands like a living instrument of retribution.

Characters & Entities

• Śālmalī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It warns that sexual misconduct (paradāra) and violating sacred trust (brahma-sva) are grave adharma leading to severe karmic consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within the Revā Khaṇḍa (Narmadā/Revā Māhātmya) context, where the Revā river-region is the sacred geography backdrop, though this specific line focuses on moral consequence rather than naming a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is prescribed in this verse; it is a dharma-śikṣā statement describing the fruit of adharma.