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

Ebenso jene, die Asketen schmähen, wer falsches Zeugnis ablegt, wer die Fehler anderer ausruft und wer die Tugenden eines anderen verhüllt oder mindert—(auch sie sind von der verheißenen Erlösung umfasst).

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.