Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

तपस्विनिन्दकाश्चैव कूटसाक्ष्यं करोति यः । वक्ता च परदोषस्य परस्य गुणलोपकः

Transliteration

tapasvinindakāścaiva kūṭasākṣyaṃ karoti yaḥ | vaktā ca paradoṣasya parasya guṇalopakaḥ

Translation

তপস্বীদের নিন্দাকারী, মিথ্যা সাক্ষ্যদাতা; পরের দোষ প্রচারকারী এবং পরের গুণ আচ্ছাদন বা হ্রাসকারীও (এখানে অন্তর্ভুক্ত)।

Word by Word

• तपस्विनिन्दकाः: slanderers of ascetics
• तपस्विनिन्दकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक) + निन्दक (प्रातिपदिक; √निन्द्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural); तत्पुरुष (तपस्विनः निन्दकाः)

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

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

• कूटसाक्ष्यम्: false testimony
• कूटसाक्ष्यम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूट (प्रातिपदिक) + साक्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular); कर्मधारय (कूटं साक्ष्यम् = मिथ्यासाक्ष्यम्)

• करोति: does, commits
• करोति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Present indicative, 3rd person singular)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• वक्ता: a speaker, one who speaks
• वक्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्तृ (प्रातिपदिक; √वच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); कर्तृवाचक (agent noun)

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

• परदोषस्य: of another’s fault
• परदोषस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular); तत्पुरुष (परस्य दोषः)

• परस्य: of another
• परस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular)

• गुणलोपकः: one who diminishes/erases (another’s) virtues
• गुणलोपकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + लोपक (प्रातिपदिक; √लुप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); तत्पुरुष (गुणान् लोपयति/अपहरति इति)

Speaker

Narrative voice (contextual Purāṇic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pīluyugma-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A courtroom-like scene of false witness dissolves into a pilgrim’s confession at the tīrtha; an ascetic is honored with offerings; a gossiping figure becomes silent in contemplation.

Characters & Entities

• Tapasvins (ascetics)
• Kūṭasākṣya (false witness)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma treats verbal and social harms as serious; yet devotion and sacred approach are portrayed as capable of reform and release.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dharmāraṇya tīrtha associated with liṅga-darśana in this adhyāya’s narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is stated; the verse continues the list of offenders who may be purified through the tīrtha’s sanctity and devotional encounter.