Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

ये पापिष्ठा दुराचारा मित्रद्रोहरताश्च ये । तेषां प्रबोधनार्थाय प्रसिद्धिमकरोत्पुरा

Transliteration

ye pāpiṣṭhā durācārā mitradroharatāśca ye | teṣāṃ prabodhanārthāya prasiddhimakarotpurā

Translation

Diejenigen aber, die höchst sündig sind, von bösem Wandel und die am Verrat an Freunden Gefallen finden — um sie zu erwecken, machte er dies einst weithin bekannt.

Word by Word

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

• पापिष्ठाः: most sinful
• पापिष्ठाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अतिशय (superlative) — इष्ठ-प्रत्ययः

• दुराचाराः: of bad conduct
• दुराचाराः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + आचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (दुष्टः आचारः येषाम्)

• मित्रद्रोहरताः: delighting in betraying friends
• मित्रद्रोहरताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मित्र (प्रातिपदिक) + द्रोह (प्रातिपदिक) + रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मित्रेषु द्रोहे रताः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; पुनरुक्त-सम्बन्ध (those who)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• प्रबोधनार्थाय: for (their) awakening/instruction
• प्रबोधनार्थाय: Sampradana (Purpose/Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रबोधन (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (प्रबोधनस्य अर्थः) — प्रयोजन (for the purpose)

• प्रसिद्धिम्: fame/public proclamation
• प्रसिद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• अकरोत्: made/caused
• अकरोत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past/अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पुरा: formerly/once
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (formerly/once)

Speaker

Narratorial voice within Dharmāraṇyakhaṇḍa (context speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya-associated dharma-śāsana / tīrtha-māhātmya (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher or royal figure proclaims the tīrtha’s dharma publicly; in the crowd stand remorseful wrongdoers—thieves, betrayers—softened by the message, turning toward the sacred path.

Characters & Entities

• Mitra-droha (betrayal of friends)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is not only for the virtuous; it is proclaimed to reform the fallen—especially those guilty of deceit and betrayal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dharmāraṇya context frames the proclamation as part of the region’s dharma-māhātmya, where moral awakening is a key benefit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is specified; the prescription is ethical—abandon durācāra and mitra-droha through awakening to dharma.