Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

इन्द्रियं लोलुपा विप्रा ये भवन्ति नृपोत्तम । पतन्ति नरके घोरे रौरवे पापमोहिताः

Transliteration

indriyaṃ lolupā viprā ye bhavanti nṛpottama | patanti narake ghore raurave pāpamohitāḥ

Translation

اے نرپوتّم، جو برہمن حواس کی لذتوں کے لالچی ہو جاتے ہیں، گناہ کے فریب میں مبتلا ہو کر، وہ رَورَوَ نامی ہولناک نرک میں جا گرتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• इन्द्रियम्: sense-objects / the senses
• इन्द्रियम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विषय-रूपेण (object of greed)

• लोलुपाः: greedy
• लोलुपाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोलुप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विप्राः इति विशेषण

• विप्राः: brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• भवन्ति: are/become
• भवन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• नृपोत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (best among kings)

• पतन्ति: fall
• पतन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• नरके: in hell
• नरके: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• घोरे: terrible
• घोरे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; नरके इति विशेषण

• रौरवे: in Raurava (hell)
• रौरवे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रौरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; नरकविशेष (name of a hell)

• पापमोहिताः: deluded by sin
• पापमोहिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप + मोहित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तृतीया/हेतु-भावार्थे तत्पुरुष: ‘deluded by sin’ (मोहित = भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त from मुह्)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpottama (royal listener; within Pāṇḍava frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark moral contrast: a brāhmaṇa figure reaching toward sensual objects, while behind him looms the भयावह vision of Raurava—dark terrain, serpents/scorpions, and punitive imagery—serving as a didactic warning.

Characters & Entities

• Raurava (Naraka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual status without self-control is hollow; sense-greed leads to downfall and painful karmic consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly praised; the verse provides ethical teaching within the Bhārabhūti tīrtha account.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implicit restraint: avoid indulgence in sense-pleasures; no formal rite is stated.