Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

नरके पातयित्वा च कुलमेकोत्तरं शतम् । आत्मानं पातयेत्पश्चाद्दारुणं रौरवं महत्

Transliteration

narake pātayitvā ca kulamekottaraṃ śatam | ātmānaṃ pātayetpaścāddāruṇaṃ rauravaṃ mahat

Translation

وہ اپنے کُل کی ایک سو ایک پشتوں کو دوزخ میں گرا دیتا ہے، اور پھر خود بھی ہولناک عظیم رَورَوَ نرک میں جا گرتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• नरके: in hell
• नरके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• पातयित्वा: having caused to fall
• पातयित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pat (धातु) + णिच् (causative) + क्त्वा
• Form: णिजन्त-धातोः क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (causative gerund/absolutive)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunctive/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कुलम्: family/lineage
• कुलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• एकोत्तरम्: one more (than)
• एकोत्तरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka + uttara (प्रातिपदिक; समास/विशेषण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (एकेन उत्तरम् = one more); विशेषणम् शतम् प्रति

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; संख्याशब्दः

• आत्मानम्: oneself
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पातयेत्: would cause to fall
• पातयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pat (धातु) + णिच्
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative)

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paścāt (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• दारुणम्: terrible
• दारुणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dāruṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् रौरवम् प्रति

• रौरवम्: Raurava (a hell)
• रौरवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raurava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नरक-विशेषः

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् रौरवम् प्रति

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced; continuing the warning about broken promises of dāna)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Koṭitīrtha

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark moral-vision: the vow-breaker is dragged by Yama’s messengers; behind him, shadowy ancestors/descendants fall away; in the distance, the fiery landscape of Raurava looms, contrasted with the serene riverbank left behind.

Characters & Entities

• Raurava
• naraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma—especially vow-breaking and deceit in sacred contexts—creates severe karmic consequences affecting oneself and one's lineage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly Koṭitīrtha, as this verse continues the prior warning tied to promises made there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A negative prescription: do not make and break a vowed gift; uphold truthfulness and fulfill dāna.