Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

वेदशर्माभिधो विद्वान्सर्वकर्मकलापवित् । ब्राह्मणाय प्रतिश्रुत्य न मया तत्र जन्मनि

Transliteration

vedaśarmābhidho vidvānsarvakarmakalāpavit | brāhmaṇāya pratiśrutya na mayā tatra janmani

Translation

Ich war ein Gelehrter namens Vedaśarman, kundig in der ganzen Fülle von Riten und Pflichten. Doch nachdem ich einem Brāhmaṇa eine Gabe versprochen hatte, erfüllte ich sie in jenem Leben nicht.

Word by Word

• vedaśarmā-abhidhaḥ: named Vedaśarmā
• vedaśarmā-abhidhaḥ: Kartā-viśeṣaṇa (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vedaśarman (प्रातिपदिक; नाम) + abhidha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष—'वेदशर्मा इति अभिधः' (named Vedaśarmā)

• vidvān: learned
• vidvān: Kartā-viśeṣaṇa (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vid (धातु)
• Form: वत्/वस्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (perfect participle-like adjective), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'विद्वस्' (learned)

• sarva-karma-kalāpa-vit: knower of all sets of rituals/acts
• sarva-karma-kalāpa-vit: Kartā-viśeṣaṇa (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + karma (प्रातिपदिक) + kalāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + vit (प्रातिपदिक; from √vid)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष—'सर्वकर्मकलापं वेत्ति' (knower of the whole collection of rites/acts)

• brāhmaṇāya: to a Brahmin
• brāhmaṇāya: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• pratiśrutya: having promised
• pratiśrutya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati + √śru (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); 'प्रतिश्रुत्य' = 'प्रतिज्ञाय' (having promised)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Kartṛ-karaṇa (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया, एकवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Place adjunct/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: there)

• janmani: in (that) birth
• janmani: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

Speaker

Sṛgāla (jackal; past-life confession as Vedaśarman)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A remorseful jackal narrates: behind him, a flashback shows Vedaśarman promising wealth to a brāhmaṇa petitioner near a ritual fire; the promise hangs like an uncut thread into the present cremation-ground.

Characters & Entities

• Vedaśarman
• Brāhmaṇa
• Pratiśruti (promise)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual knowledge and competence do not excuse ethical breach; a promised dāna must be fulfilled.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setu-khaṇḍa setting underlies the teaching, situating dharma-instruction within the pilgrimage ethos of the Setu (Rāmeśvara).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Fulfilling a promised gift (pratiśruti) to a brāhmaṇa—i.e., do not withhold what has been vowed as dāna.