Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

पुण्यकर्मफल स्वर्गो नरकस्तद्विपर्ययः । तयोर्द्वावधिपौ धात्रा कृतौ शतमखांतकौ

Transliteration

puṇyakarmaphala svargo narakastadviparyayaḥ | tayordvāvadhipau dhātrā kṛtau śatamakhāṃtakau

Translation

نیکی کے اعمال کا پھل سُورگ ہے اور اس کے برعکس نرک۔ ان دونوں پر دھاتا (خالق) نے دو حاکم مقرر کیے—‘سو یَجّیوں کے ہلاک کرنے والے’۔

Word by Word

• पुण्य-कर्म-फलम्: the fruit of meritorious action
• पुण्य-कर्म-फलम्: Karta/Subject (in equational sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• स्वर्गः: heaven
• स्वर्गः: Predicate nominal (सम्बन्ध/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• नरकः: hell
• नरकः: Karta/Subject (in equational sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• तत्-विपर्ययः: its opposite (i.e., opposite of heaven)
• तत्-विपर्ययः: Predicate nominal (सम्बन्ध/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + विपर्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• तयोः: of those two (heaven and hell)
• तयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Genitive, Dual)

• द्वौ: two
• द्वौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Dual)

• अधिपौ: lords, rulers
• अधिपौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Dual)

• धात्रा: by the Creator (Dhātṛ)
• धात्रा: Karana (Instrument/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

• कृतौ: made, created
• कृतौ: Predicate (state/result)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle) 'कृत'; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Dual)

• शतमख-अन्तकौ: the two slayers of Śatamakha (Indra)
• शतमख-अन्तकौ: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतमख (प्रातिपदिक; इन्द्र) + अन्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ('शतमखस्य अन्तकौ'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Dual)

Speaker

Brahmā/Dhātṛ (deduced from 'dhātrā'; speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic court scene: Dhātṛ (Creator) enthroned, indicating two vast realms—svarga above with luminous devas and naraka below with dark guardians; two stern figures titled ‘śatamakha-antakau’ stand as appointed rulers over the two domains.

Characters & Entities

• Svarga
• Naraka
• Dhātṛ
• Śatamakhāntaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Afterlife realms are portrayed as structured outcomes of karma—svarga for puṇya, naraka for pāpa—within a divinely governed order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is mentioned; the verse concerns cosmic moral governance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it emphasizes that actions determine post-mortem experience.