Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

यो मूढश्चाप्यधर्मात्मा पापपाषंडमाश्रितः । निजान्विप्रान्परित्यज्य परज्ञातींश्च मन्यते

Transliteration

yo mūḍhaścāpyadharmātmā pāpapāṣaṃḍamāśritaḥ | nijānviprānparityajya parajñātīṃśca manyate

Translation

Jener Mensch, verblendet und ungerecht, der sich an sündhafte Ketzerei klammert—seine eigenen Brahmanen verlassend—hält Fremde für seine Verwandten.

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (सम्बन्ध-यः...सः)

• मूढः: deluded, foolish
• मूढः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (to yaḥ)

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अपि-निपात: also/even)

• अधर्मात्मा: one whose nature is unrighteous
• अधर्मात्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (अधर्मः आत्मा यस्य सः), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणवत् (to yaḥ)

• पापपाषण्डम्: sinful heresy
• पापपाषण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + पाषण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (पापः पाषण्डः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• आश्रितः: having resorted to
• आश्रितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु) + आश्रित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय/PPP), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः, विशेषण (to yaḥ)

• निजान्: one's own
• निजान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (to viprān)

• विप्रान्: Brahmins
• विप्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• परित्यज्य: having abandoned
• परित्यज्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परि-त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय/absolutive), अव्ययभाव (gerund)

• परज्ञातीन्: outsiders/other relatives (non-kin)
• परज्ञातीन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पराः ज्ञातयः), पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

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

• मन्यते: considers, thinks (as)
• मन्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Deductive attribution: a Purāṇic narrator/instructor within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa (speaker not explicit in snippet)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpasattama (best of kings)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cautionary tableau: a deluded man turns away from his own learned Brāhmaṇas and embraces dubious outsiders, symbolizing dharma’s rupture.

Characters & Entities

• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Turning away from dharmic guidance and one’s rightful spiritual elders leads to delusion and moral decline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced; the focus is on dharmic allegiance and social-religious responsibility.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a warning against pāṣaṇḍa and against abandoning one’s dharmic supports.