Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

मित्रध्रुड्दूतवृत्तिश्च पुत्राचार्यस्तथैव च । भ्रमरी मण्डपाली च चित्रांगः पिशुनस्तथा

Transliteration

mitradhruḍdūtavṛttiśca putrācāryastathaiva ca | bhramarī maṇḍapālī ca citrāṃgaḥ piśunastathā

Translation

وكذلك: خائنُ الأصدقاء، ومن يعتاش بحرفة الرسول حامل الرسائل، ومن يتّخذ لنفسه عمل «معلّم الابن» (رزقًا غير لائق)؛ وكذلك من يُعرَفون بـBhramarī وMaṇḍapālī وCitrāṅga، والوشّاء النمّام—فهؤلاء أيضًا معدودون في زمرة المذمومين.

Word by Word

• mitradhruṭ: betrayer of a friend
• mitradhruṭ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mitra + dhruṭ (प्रातिपदिक; √druh (धातु) से)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मित्रस्य द्रुह्/द्रोही)

• dūtavṛttiḥ: one who lives by being a messenger
• dūtavṛttiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dūta + vṛtti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दूतस्य वृत्तिः)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• putrācāryaḥ: teacher of one’s son
• putrācāryaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra + ācārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पुत्रस्य आचार्यः)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• bhramarī: bhramarī (a woman so called)
• bhramarī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhramarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘भ्रमरी’ (भ्रमर-सम्बन्धिनी/भ्रमरिणी)

• maṇḍapālī: Maṇḍapālī (proper name)
• maṇḍapālī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṇḍapālī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; व्यक्तिवाचक (नाम)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• citrāṃgaḥ: Citrāṅga / one with variegated limbs
• citrāṃgaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citra + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (चित्रम् अङ्गं यस्य/चित्राङ्गः)

• piśunaḥ: slanderer, informer
• piśunaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piśuna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘पिशुन’ (चुगल/दूषक)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim is approached by a slick messenger and a slanderer whispering; an elder points to a quiet, disciplined recipient. The named figures (Bhramarī, Maṇḍapālī, Citrāṅga) appear as archetypal ‘censured types’ in the margins.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit depends on ethical conduct: betrayal, slander, and tainted livelihoods undermine the sanctity of religious giving.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where dharma is taught with practical guidance on preserving puṇya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A dāna-related caution: do not select such persons as recipients when other worthy recipients are available.