Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 127

Devanagari script

एकस्मिन्निधनं प्राप्ते पापिष्ठे क्रूरकर्मणि । बहूनां भवति क्षेमस्तत्र पुण्यप्रदो वधः । सत्येवं पृथिवीपाल धर्म्मं मा त्यक्तुमर्हसि

Transliteration

ekasminnidhanaṃ prāpte pāpiṣṭhe krūrakarmaṇi | bahūnāṃ bhavati kṣemastatra puṇyaprado vadhaḥ | satyevaṃ pṛthivīpāla dharmmaṃ mā tyaktumarhasi

Translation

إذا نزل الموت بواحدٍ هو أشدّ الناس إثمًا وقسوةَ فعلٍ، نال كثيرون السلامة؛ وفي مثل ذلك يكون القتل مُعطيًا للثواب. فلهذا، يا حامي الأرض، ما دام هذا حقًّا، فلا تترك الدَّرما.

Word by Word

• ekasmin: in one (person/place)
• ekasmin: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• nidhanaṃ: death, destruction
• nidhanaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nidhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• prāpte: when (it) has occurred/been reached
• prāpte: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √āp (धातु) + pra-; prāpta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• pāpiṣṭhe: in the most sinful (one)
• pāpiṣṭhe: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अतिशय (superlative -iṣṭha)

• krūra-karmaṇi: in (one) of cruel deeds
• krūra-karmaṇi: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: krūra (प्रातिपदिक) + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासः (क्रूरं कर्म यस्य/यत्र)

• bahūnām: of many
• bahūnām: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• bhavati: becomes, occurs
• bhavati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• kṣemaḥ: welfare, safety
• kṣemaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣema (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• tatra: there, in that case
• tatra: Desha-adhikarana (Locative adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• puṇya-pradaḥ: bestowing merit
• puṇya-pradaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक) + prada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (पुण्यं प्रददाति इति)

• vadhaḥ: killing, execution
• vadhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vadha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• satya: true
• satya: Prayojaka (Assertive/वाक्यप्रवर्तक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; वाक्यांशे ‘सत्यं’ इत्यर्थे

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (manner adverb)

• pṛthivī-pāla: O king (protector of the earth)
• pṛthivī-pāla: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthivī (प्रातिपदिक) + pāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पृथिव्याः पालः)

• dharmam: dharma, duty
• dharmam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• mā: do not
• mā: Nishedha (Prohibition/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेधार्थक कण (prohibitive particle)

• tyaktum: to abandon
• tyaktum: Karma-pravacaniya (Complement/पूरक)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tyaj (धातु); tyaktum (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), परस्मैपदी धातु

• arhasi: you ought/are fit
• arhasi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √arh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Vasudhā (Bhū-devī / Earth-goddess)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral-legal argument visualized: the speaker contrasts one cruel sinner versus the safety of many; the king stands as judge, with scales/scroll motifs, soldiers restrained, citizens in background seeking protection.

Characters & Entities

• Vasudhā
• Pṛthivīpāla (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rāja-dharma may require firm action against the cruel when it protects the many; dharma is measured by welfare (kṣema) and restraint from needless harm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, serving as the setting for dharma-instruction within the māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is stated; the emphasis is on governance ethics and the protection of society.