Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

भरद्वाज उवाच । नृशंसो वै स भवतु समृद्ध्या चाप्यहंकृ तः । मत्सरी पिशुनश्चैव बिसस्तैन्यं करोति यः

Transliteration

bharadvāja uvāca | nṛśaṃso vai sa bhavatu samṛddhyā cāpyahaṃkṛ taḥ | matsarī piśunaścaiva bisastainyaṃ karoti yaḥ

Translation

ভৰদ্বাজে ক’লে: যি বিসস্তৈন্য কৰে, সি নৃশংস হয়; সমৃদ্ধি লাভ কৰিলেও অহংকাৰী হয়; আৰু ঈৰ্ষাপৰায়ণ তথা পিশুন—নিন্দুকো হয়।

Word by Word

• भरद्वाजः: Bharadvāja
• भरद्वाजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरद्वाज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• नृशंसः: cruel
• नृशंसः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नृशंस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक अव्यय (particle)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• भवतु: let him become
• भवतु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• समृद्ध्या: by prosperity
• समृद्ध्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक अव्यय (particle)

• अहंकृतः: conceited (full of ego)
• अहंकृतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अहंकार (प्रातिपदिक) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘अहंकृत’ = अहंकारयुक्त/अहंकारं कृतवान्; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• मत्सरी: envious
• मत्सरी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत्सरिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• पिशुनः: slandering/malicious informer
• पिशुनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पिशुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

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

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (particle)

• बिसस्तैन्यम्: theft of lotus-stalks
• बिसस्तैन्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिस (प्रातिपदिक) + स्तैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (बिसस्य स्तैन्यम्)

• करोति: commits
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक यत्-प्रत्यय

Speaker

Bharadvāja

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rishi-assembly (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bharadvāja in discourse; allegorical figures of Envy and Slander whispering near a prosperous man who appears arrogant; a shadow of cruelty in posture contrasts with the serene sacred pond backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Bharadvāja

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma corrupts character: theft breeds cruelty, ego, envy, and harmful speech.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the overarching sacred geography; this verse gives ethical instruction within that māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is on inner moral consequences rather than an external ritual.