Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

पतितैः सह संवासः पतनायैव जायते । दद्यादासनं मंचं न शूद्राय कदाचन

Transliteration

patitaiḥ saha saṃvāsaḥ patanāyaiva jāyate | dadyādāsanaṃ maṃcaṃ na śūdrāya kadācana

Translation

Das enge Zusammenleben mit den Gefallenen (patita) führt wahrlich zum eigenen Fall. Niemals soll man einem Śūdra einen Sitz oder eine Liegestatt anbieten.

Word by Word

• पतितैः: with the fallen (outcast) persons
• पतितैः: Sahakari (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पतित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; पत् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc.), तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन (pl.)

• सह: with
• सह: Sahakari (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सहकारक-अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable: ‘with’)

• संवासः: dwelling/association
• संवासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्+वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc.), प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (sing.)

• पतनाय: for downfall
• पतनाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut.), चतुर्थी (4th case), एकवचन (sing.)

• एव: indeed / only
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• जायते: arises / happens
• जायते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (sing.); आत्मनेपदम्

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (sing.); परस्मैपदम्

• आसनम्: a seat
• आसनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut.), द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (sing.)

• मञ्चम्: a couch/bed
• मञ्चम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मञ्च (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc.), द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (sing.)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• शूद्राय: to a Shudra
• शूद्राय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc.), चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन (sing.)

• कदाचन: ever / at any time
• कदाचन: Adverbial (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘ever/at any time’)

Speaker

Unknown (Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa instructional narration; speaker not explicit in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An āśrama courtyard where a teacher cautions a student about keeping company; a boundary is shown between disciplined ascetics and a group marked as ‘fallen’ by disordered behavior; a seat/cot is symbolically withheld to indicate regulated hospitality.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Company shapes character: dharma is preserved by avoiding corrupting associations and by following the period’s prescribed social codes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A conduct rule regarding association (saṁvāsa) and a restriction on offering seating/bed to a Śūdra, reflecting the text’s historical social norms.