Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

मन्युप्रहरणा विप्राश्चक्रप्रहरणो हरिः । चक्रात्क्रूरतरो मन्युस्तस्माद्विप्रं न कोपयेत्

Transliteration

manyupraharaṇā viprāścakrapraharaṇo hariḥ | cakrātkrūrataro manyustasmādvipraṃ na kopayet

Translation

Die Brāhmaṇas führen den Zorn als Waffe, Hari aber führt den Diskus. Zorn ist grausamer als der Diskus; darum soll man niemals einen Brāhmaṇa zum Zorn reizen.

Word by Word

• मन्युप्रहरणाः: having anger as weapon
• मन्युप्रहरणाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्यु + प्रहरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः ‘मन्युः प्रहरणं येषाम्’ (whose weapon is anger)

• विप्राः: Brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (masculine, nominative plural)

• चक्रप्रहरणः: having the discus as weapon
• चक्रप्रहरणः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चक्र + प्रहरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः ‘चक्रं प्रहरणं यस्य’ (whose weapon is the discus)

• हरिः: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, nominative singular)

• चक्रात्: than the discus
• चक्रात्: Apādāna (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (ablative singular ‘from/than the discus’)

• क्रूरतरः: more cruel
• क्रूरतरः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तरप्-प्रत्यय (comparative)

• मन्युः: anger
• मन्युः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, nominative singular)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति अव्ययीभाववत् निपात-प्रयोगः; हेत्वर्थे (therefore)

• विप्रम्: a Brahmin
• विप्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, accusative singular)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• कोपयेत्: should provoke (to anger)
• कोपयेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कुप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative ‘should anger/provoke’)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A striking comparison: brāhmaṇas with ‘anger as weapon’ contrasted with Hari holding the Sudarśana cakra; the imagery is conceptual, suitable for symbolic art panels.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Cakra (Sudarśana)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual power is tied to dharma: provoking the righteous (Brāhmaṇas) is portrayed as more dangerous than even divine weapons.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Revā (Narmadā) Māhātmya material, but this verse itself is a general dharma warning rather than a tīrtha description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is specified; the prescription is behavioral—do not enrage a Brāhmaṇa.