Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

आदिमध्यावसानानां ज्ञानानां छिन्नसंशयाः । परापरविशेषज्ञा नेतारः परमां गतिम् । अवध्या ब्राह्मणास्तस्मात्पापेष्वपि रताः सदा

Transliteration

ādimadhyāvasānānāṃ jñānānāṃ chinnasaṃśayāḥ | parāparaviśeṣajñā netāraḥ paramāṃ gatim | avadhyā brāhmaṇāstasmātpāpeṣvapi ratāḥ sadā

Translation

Sie haben den Zweifel am Wissen—an Anfang, Mitte und Ende—durchtrennt. Da sie den Unterschied zwischen Höherem und Niedrigerem kennen, führen sie zur höchsten Bestimmung. Darum dürfen Brahmanen nicht getötet werden, selbst wenn sie stets in Sünde verstrickt wären.

Word by Word

• आदि-मध्य-अवसानानाम्: of beginnings, middles, and ends
• आदि-मध्य-अवसानानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि + मध्य + अवसान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्वः—आदीनि च मध्यानि च अवसानानि च (beginnings, middles, and ends)

• ज्ञानानाम्: of knowledges/insights
• ज्ञानानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• छिन्नसंशयाः: with doubts dispelled
• छिन्नसंशयाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छिन्न (कृदन्त) + संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—छिन्नाः संशयाः येषाम् (whose doubts are cut off)

• परापरविशेषज्ञाः: knowers of the distinction between higher and lower
• परापरविशेषज्ञाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर + अपर + विशेष + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—परापरयोः विशेषं जानन्ति (knowers of distinctions between higher and lower)

• नेतारः: leaders/guides
• नेतारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेतृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• परमाम्: supreme
• परमाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (gatim)

• गतिम्: goal/path
• गतिम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अवध्याः: not to be killed, inviolable
• अवध्याः: Pradhāna-predicative (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; नञ्-समास-निष्पन्न विशेषण—न वध्याः (not to be slain)

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक: तद्)
• Form: हेतु-अव्यय (ablatival adverb: ‘therefore/from that’)

• पापेषु: in sins/evil acts
• पापेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-निपात (even/also)

• रताः: engaged, devoted
• रताः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम् (धातु) → रत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (brāhmaṇāḥ)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the assembled sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene assembly in Prabhāsa: a venerable brahmana-teacher instructs pilgrims, cutting their doubts; a protective aura signifies the inviolability of the brahmana despite worldly faults.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Parā (higher reality)
• Aparā (lower reality)
• Paramā gati (supreme goal)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Those established in spiritual discernment are to be protected; violence toward them is condemned as a grave dharmic transgression.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where dharma concerning conduct toward Brāhmaṇas is taught as part of the site’s sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A strong ethical injunction is given: Brāhmaṇas are avadhya (not to be killed), emphasizing ahiṃsā and restraint.