Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

इत्येवमादिभिः पापैरशास्त्रौघस्य सेवनैः । पतंत्येव महाघोरनरकेषु सहस्रशः

Transliteration

ityevamādibhiḥ pāpairaśāstraughasya sevanaiḥ | pataṃtyeva mahāghoranarakeṣu sahasraśaḥ

Translation

یوں ہی اور ایسے گناہوں کے سبب—اور غیر شاستری رسموں کے سیلاب کا سہارا لے کر—لوگ یقیناً ہزاروں کی تعداد میں نہایت ہولناک دوزخوں میں جا گرتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• एवम्: in this way
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• आदिभिः: by such and other (acts)
• आदिभिः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• पापैः: by sins
• पापैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• अशास्त्रौघस्य: of a flood/collection of unscriptural (practices)
• अशास्त्रौघस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ + शास्त्र + ओघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अशास्त्राणाम् ओघः)

• सेवनैः: by indulgences/practices
• सेवनैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• पतन्ति: fall
• पतन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात

• महाघोरनरकेषु: in very terrible hells
• महाघोरनरकेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā + घोर + नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महान्ति घोराणि नरकाणि)

• सहस्रशः: by thousands, innumerably
• सहस्रशः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/आवृत्तिवाचक-अव्यय (distributive adverb)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahāghora-narakas (generic)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/Devotees

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sweeping allegory: a torrent labeled ‘aśāstra’ carries crowds toward a dark chasm of many hells; on higher ground stand sages holding śāstra, pointing to a safe path of dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Naraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma must be aligned with śāstra; unregulated, unscriptural conduct leads to grave karmic consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the verse is a general dharma instruction within the chapter’s naraka discussion.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, it prescribes adherence to śāstra-based practice, but no specific rite (snāna, dāna, japa) is named.