Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

यस्ताडयति विप्रं वै क्षते कुर्याद्धि शोणितम् । अस्थिभंगं च वा कुर्यात्प्राणैर्वापि वियोजयेत्

Transliteration

yastāḍayati vipraṃ vai kṣate kuryāddhi śoṇitam | asthibhaṃgaṃ ca vā kuryātprāṇairvāpi viyojayet

Translation

Wer einen Brahmanen schlägt und ihm Wunden und Blutungen zufügt, oder ihm die Knochen bricht, oder ihn gar vom Leben trennt...

Word by Word

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक सर्वनाम

• ताडयति: strikes/beats
• ताडयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tāḍ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विप्रम्: a Brahmin
• विप्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• क्षते: in a wound/when wounded
• क्षते: Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣata (कृदन्त; √kṣan/√kṣad? + क्त; प्रातिपदिकरूपेण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘क्षत’ = wound; अधिकरण (in case of a wound)

• कुर्यात्: should make/cause
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (indeed/for)

• शोणितम्: blood
• शोणितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śoṇita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अस्थिभङ्गम्: bone-breaking
• अस्थिभङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asthi-bhaṅga (प्रातिपदिक; अस्थि + भङ्ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अस्थ्नः भङ्गः)

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

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (or)

• कुर्यात्: should do/cause
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (पुनरुक्त)

• प्राणैः: from (his) life-breaths/life
• प्राणैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (also/even)

• वियोजयेत्: should separate (him) from life / kill
• वियोजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi- (उपसर्ग) + √yuj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; causative sense ‘separate’ (प्रयोजकभाव)

Speaker

Śiva (continuing the condemnation of violence against vipras)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cautionary tableau: an aggressor striking a brāhmaṇa; blood/wounds implied; dharma personified as recoiling; the sacred landscape of Prabhāsa in the background as witness.

Characters & Entities

• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Violence against the worthy of honor is a grave adharma with heavy karmic repercussions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, where the Māhātmya links the holiness of place with the holiness of conduct.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A strict prohibition: do not harm vipras physically—no beating, wounding, maiming, or killing.