Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

यः शृणोति कथां वक्तुः समानासनमाश्रितः । गुरुतल्पसमं पापं संप्राप्य नरकं व्रजेत्

Transliteration

yaḥ śṛṇoti kathāṃ vaktuḥ samānāsanamāśritaḥ | gurutalpasamaṃ pāpaṃ saṃprāpya narakaṃ vrajet

Translation

Wer die heilige Erzählung hört, indem er auf einem Sitz Platz nimmt, der dem des Vortragenden gleich ist, lädt eine Sünde auf sich, die der Entweihung des Lagers des Guru gleicht; mit dieser Schuld geht er zur Hölle.

Word by Word

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचकः सापेक्ष-प्रयोगः (relative pronoun)

• शृणोति: he hears
• शृणोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• कथाम्: the story/discourse
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वक्तुः: of the speaker
• वक्तुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• समानासनम्: the same seat
• समानासनम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समान (प्रातिपदिक) + आसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (समानं आसनं यस्य/यत्र तत्)

• आश्रितः: having resorted to/occupying
• आश्रितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु) → आश्रित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (यः…आश्रितः)

• गुरुतल्पसमम्: equal to (the sin of) violating the guru’s bed
• गुरुतल्पसमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + तल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (गुरुतल्पेन समम्)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• संप्राप्य: having incurred/attained
• संप्राप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-प्र-आप् (धातु) → संप्राप्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Gati/Karma (Goal as object/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• व्रजेत्: would go
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Unknown (context not supplied; likely a purāṇic narrator within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred discourse hall: the vaktr̥ seated on an elevated vyāsāsana, listeners seated below with folded hands; one arrogant listener attempts an equal seat, shadowed by imagery of naraka as moral warning.

Characters & Entities

• Guru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Honor the teacher’s position; spiritual knowledge is received through humility and proper decorum.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; it concerns dharma in teaching assemblies.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not occupy an equal seat with the speaker/ācārya while listening.