Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

उदासीनः सभामध्ये ब्रह्महा स प्रकीर्तितः । मिथ्यागुणैः स्वमात्मानं नयत्युत्कर्षतां बलात्

Transliteration

udāsīnaḥ sabhāmadhye brahmahā sa prakīrtitaḥ | mithyāguṇaiḥ svamātmānaṃ nayatyutkarṣatāṃ balāt

Translation

Derjenige wird als Mörder eines Brahmanen ausgerufen, der gleichgültig inmitten einer Versammlung sitzt. Und einer, der sich durch falsche Tugenden gewaltsam in eine Position der Überlegenheit drängt...

Word by Word

• उदासीनः: indifferent, unconcerned
• उदासीनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उदासीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• सभामध्ये: in the midst of the assembly
• सभामध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सभा (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सभा-मध्ये = in the middle of the assembly)

• ब्रह्महा: brahmin-slayer
• ब्रह्महा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + हन् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्म-हन् = slayer of a brāhmaṇa)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• प्रकीर्तितः: is declared/called
• प्रकीर्तितः: Predicate (विशेष्य-विशेषण/समासार्थ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + कीर्त् (धातु) → प्रकीर्तित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle)

• मिथ्यागुणैः: by false qualities
• मिथ्यागुणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मिथ्या (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-भाव) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (मिथ्या-गुण = false qualities)

• स्वम्: one's own
• स्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• आत्मानम्: self
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• नयति: leads/drives
• नयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• उत्कर्षताम्: to superiority/exaltation
• उत्कर्षताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्कर्षता (प्रातिपदिक; भाव)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भाववाचक (state/condition)

• बलात्: by force, forcibly
• बलात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable); तसिल्-अर्थे (ablatival sense) = forcibly

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal or learned assembly hall: a man sits aloof while a dispute of dharma unfolds; another figure displays ostentatious marks of virtue, pushing forward to claim honor, while sages look on with disapproval.

Characters & Entities

• Sabhā (assembly)
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Indifference to dharmic matters in public and self-exaltation through hypocrisy are condemned as severe ethical failures.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the concern is moral conduct in communal settings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it critiques apathy and deceit rather than prescribing a rite.