Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मकोपाग्निनिर्दग्धाः प्ररोहंति न जातुचित् । अपराग्निविनिर्दग्धारो हंते दावदग्धवत्

Transliteration

brahmakopāgninirdagdhāḥ prarohaṃti na jātucit | aparāgnivinirdagdhāro haṃte dāvadagdhavat

Translation

„Die vom Feuer des Zorns eines Brahmanen Versengten treiben niemals wieder aus; doch die vom gewöhnlichen Feuer Verbrannten können erneut wachsen — wie ein vom Brand heimgesuchter Wald.“

Word by Word

• ब्रह्म-कोप-अग्नि-निर्दग्धाः: burnt by the fire of a Brahmin’s anger
• ब्रह्म-कोप-अग्नि-निर्दग्धाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + कोप (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + निर्दग्ध (प्रातिपदिक; √दह् (धातु) से क्त, नि: उपसर्ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; समासः (ब्रह्मणः कोपः = ब्रह्मकोपः; तस्य अग्निः = ब्रह्मकोपाग्निः; तेन निर्दग्धाः)

• प्ररोहन्ति: sprout/grow again
• प्ररोहन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √रुह् (धातु) प्र +
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• जातुचित्: ever/at any time
• जातुचित्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: जातु (अव्यय) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय/निपात)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (at any time)

• अपर-अग्नि-विनिर्दग्धाः: burnt by other fire(s)
• अपर-अग्नि-विनिर्दग्धाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + विनिर्दग्ध (प्रातिपदिक; √दह् क्त, वि-नि उपसर्ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; समासः (अपरेण अग्निना विनिर्दग्धाः)

• रोहन्ते: grow/sprout (again)
• रोहन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √रुह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• दाव-दग्ध-वत्: like something burnt by a forest-fire
• दाव-दग्ध-वत्: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दाव (प्रातिपदिक) + दग्ध (प्रातिपदिक; √दह् क्त) + वत् (तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक (simile marker ‘like’)

Speaker

Sāmba (continuing reflection), deduced from immediate context

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic image: two fires contrasted—one ordinary that allows regrowth, and one metaphoric 'brāhmaṇa-anger fire' that leaves no sprout; the teaching is delivered as a stark warning.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Agni (fire, metaphor)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual harm caused by insulting the spiritually authoritative (brāhmaṇas, dharma) is portrayed as harder to remedy than ordinary worldly damage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśī-khaṇḍa, though this verse itself is a general dharma maxim.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a cautionary teaching about conduct and consequences.