Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

प्राप्तो जलाशयं तं च यत्रास्ते हि पुरंदरः । यस्य तीरे स्थिता हत्या चंडालीव भयावहा

Transliteration

prāpto jalāśayaṃ taṃ ca yatrāste hi puraṃdaraḥ | yasya tīre sthitā hatyā caṃḍālīva bhayāvahā

Translation

وہ اس جھیل پر پہنچا جہاں پورندر (اندرا) ٹھہرا ہوا تھا؛ اس کے کنارے برہمن ہتیا کا گناہ ایک ہولناک چنڈالنی کی مانند کھڑا تھا، دلوں میں خوف بٹھاتا۔

Word by Word

• प्राप्तः: having arrived
• प्राप्तः: Karta-visheshana (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘having reached’ (used predicatively)

• जलाशयम्: lake/pond
• जलाशयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल-आशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘reservoir of water’

• तम्: that (it)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; pronoun referring to जलाशयम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय; conjunction

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक सम्बन्धबोधक अव्यय; relative adverb ‘where’

• आस्ते: sits/dwells
• आस्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; अवधान/हेतुवाचक particle

• पुरंदरः: Purandara (Indra)
• पुरंदरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरंदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; epithet of Indra

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन; relative pronoun ‘whose/of which’

• तीरे: on the bank
• तीरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; Locative singular

• स्थिताः: standing/remaining
• स्थिताः: Karta-visheshana (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; agrees with हत्या

• हत्या: (the sin/personified) Hatyā
• हत्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• चण्डाली: like a caṇḍālī (outcaste woman)
• चण्डाली: Upamana (Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्डाली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपमान (simile base)

• इव: as/like
• इव: Upama-dyotaka (Simile marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक अव्यय; simile particle

• भयावहा: fear-bringing/terrifying
• भयावहा: Karta-visheshana (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भय-आवह (प्रातिपदिक; आ-वह् धातोः ण्वुल्/अच्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; adjective to हत्या; ‘bringing fear’

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta (narrative voice in Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context; speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Indra-jalāśaya (unnamed lake in the passage)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dark, eerie lakeshore: Indra stays near the waters while Brahmahatyā stands on the bank as a terrifying, shadowy female figure, radiating dread; Bṛhaspati approaches with the devas.

Characters & Entities

• Purandara (Indra)
• Hatyā (personified sin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sin is portrayed as an inescapable moral consequence that follows the doer until confronted through right guidance and sacred means.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse situates the episode at a sacred jalāśaya within the Kedārakhaṇḍa landscape (Kedāra region of the Himalayas).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated here; the verse sets the scene for later counsel on expiation (prāyaścitta).