Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

विघ्नं करिष्ये हि कथं ब्राह्मणानां महात्मनाम् । वेदाध्ययनकर्तॄणां यज्ञे कर्माधितिष्ठताम्

Transliteration

vighnaṃ kariṣye hi kathaṃ brāhmaṇānāṃ mahātmanām | vedādhyayanakartṝṇāṃ yajñe karmādhitiṣṭhatām

Translation

„Wie sollte ich den großherzigen Brāhmaṇas ein Hindernis bereiten—denen, die dem Studium der Veden ergeben sind—die im yajña fest in ihren heiligen Pflichten stehen?“

Word by Word

• vighnam: obstacle
• vighnam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vighna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• kariṣye: I shall do; I will make
• kariṣye: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन

• hi: indeed; for
• hi: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• katham: how?
• katham: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• brāhmaṇānām: of the Brahmins
• brāhmaṇānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• mahātmanām: of the great-souled
• mahātmanām: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (brāhmaṇānām)

• veda-adhyayana-kartṝṇām: of those who perform Vedic study
• veda-adhyayana-kartṝṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक) + adhyayana (प्रातिपदिक) + kartṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (वेदस्य अध्ययनं ये कुर्वन्ति ते)

• yajñe: in the sacrifice
• yajñe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• karma-adhitiṣṭhatām: of those presiding over the ritual acts
• karma-adhitiṣṭhatām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: karma (प्रातिपदिक) + adhi + sthā (धातु)
• Form: कर्माधितिष्ठताम् = ‘कर्म अधितिष्ठताम्’; ‘अधितिष्ठत्’ (वर्तमान-कृदन्त/शतृ) इत्यस्य षष्ठी-बहुवचन (Genitive plural) रूपम्; परस्मैपद-प्रयोगः, विशेषणवत् (brāhmaṇānām)

Speaker

Unspecified in the snippet (contextually a Dharma-aligned interlocutor within Dharmāraṇya-māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a forest hermitage: brāhmaṇas seated in rows chanting; a yajña-vedi with steady fire; the asura at a distance, perplexed, unable to find a point of entry for disruption.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Veda
• Yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

One should never obstruct Vedic study or yajña; honoring and protecting dhārmic Brāhmaṇas engaged in sacred duty is itself a righteous act.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Dharmāraṇya-māhātmya context; this specific śloka emphasizes the sanctity of dharma and Vedic rites rather than naming a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription (like snāna, dāna, or japa) is stated here; the focus is on safeguarding yajña-karman and Veda-adhyayana from impediments.