Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

क्षेत्रसेतुविभेदी च पूर्वमार्गप्रलोपकः । नास्तिकः शास्त्रहीनस्तु विप्रः सन्ध्याविवर्जितः

Transliteration

kṣetrasetuvibhedī ca pūrvamārgapralopakaḥ | nāstikaḥ śāstrahīnastu vipraḥ sandhyāvivarjitaḥ

Translation

ক্ষেত্ৰৰ সীমা আৰু বাঁধ ভাঙি দিয়া, প্ৰাচীন পথ মচি পেলোৱা, নাস্তিক, শাস্ত্ৰবিহীন ব্ৰাহ্মণ, আৰু যি ব্ৰাহ্মণ সন্ধ্যা-উপাসনা ত্যাগ কৰে—(সকলো) ইয়াত অন্তৰ্ভুক্ত।

Word by Word

• क्षेत्रसेतुविभेदी: one who breaks field-boundaries/embankments
• क्षेत्रसेतुविभेदी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र + सेतु + विभेदिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (क्षेत्रस्य सेतोः विभेदी)

• च: and
• च: Connector/समुच्चय
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• पूर्वमार्गप्रलोपकः: one who destroys old/traditional paths
• पूर्वमार्गप्रलोपकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व + मार्ग + प्रलोपक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पूर्वं मार्गं प्रलोपयति)

• नास्तिकः: atheist/denier
• नास्तिकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नास्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• शास्त्रहीनः: devoid of scripture
• शास्त्रहीनः: Predicate/विशेषण (of नास्तिकः/विप्रः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शास्त्र + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शास्त्रेण हीनः)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle/निपात
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषणार्थक-निपात

• विप्रः: a Brahmin
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सन्ध्याविवर्जितः: one who has abandoned the sandhyā rites
• सन्ध्याविवर्जितः: Predicate/विशेषण (of विप्रः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सन्ध्या + विवर्जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वर्ज् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; तत्पुरुषः (सन्ध्यां विवर्जितः = सन्ध्या-रहितः)

Speaker

Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā), inferred

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (general)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: sages/pilgrim audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A breached embankment flooding fields, a broken boundary marker, an erased ancient path; beside them a brāhmaṇa neglecting sandhyā at twilight—contrasted with pilgrims preserving the route.

Characters & Entities

• Vipra
• Sandhyā
• Śāstra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes both social order (protecting boundaries and paths) and spiritual discipline (scriptural life and sandhyā); neglect of either is censured.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā (Narmadā) and her tīrthas, where purification and restoration of dharma are emphasized in the surrounding passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sandhyā (sandhyā-vandana), the daily twilight worship/prayer, is referenced as a required discipline.