Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

ये निंदंति पुराणज्ञं कथां वा पापहारिणीम् । ते वै जन्मशतं मर्त्याः शुनका संभवंति च

Transliteration

ye niṃdaṃti purāṇajñaṃ kathāṃ vā pāpahāriṇīm | te vai janmaśataṃ martyāḥ śunakā saṃbhavaṃti ca

Translation

Wer einen Kenner der Purāṇas schmäht oder die sündentilgende heilige Erzählung selbst verunglimpft, der wird als Sterblicher hundertmal als Hund geboren.

Word by Word

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचकः (relative pronoun)

• निन्दन्ति: they censure
• निन्दन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निन्द् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पुराणज्ञम्: the knower of the Purāṇa
• पुराणज्ञम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (पुराणं जानाति इति)

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

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• पापहारिणीम्: sin-removing
• पापहारिणीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + हारिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (पापं हरति इति)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; अन्वादेश (correlative pronoun)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/खल्वर्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• जन्मशतम्: a hundred births
• जन्मशतम्: Kala/Parimana (Measure/परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—द्विगु (शतं जन्मानि)

• मर्त्याः: mortals
• मर्त्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• शुनकाः: dogs
• शुनकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• सम्भवन्ति: they become/are born as
• सम्भवन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

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

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A reciter holding a manuscript; a heckler points and mocks; the moral consequence is shown symbolically as a chain of canine rebirths, while devotees shield the reciter with reverence.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Do not disparage scripture or its teachers; such contempt becomes heavy karmic bondage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A moral prescription: refrain from nindā (revilement) of the purāṇa-knower and kathā.