Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

अविद्यो वा सविद्यो वा ब्राह्मणो मम दैवतम् । प्रणीतश्चाप्रणीतश्च यथाग्निर्दैवतं महत्

Transliteration

avidyo vā savidyo vā brāhmaṇo mama daivatam | praṇītaścāpraṇītaśca yathāgnirdaivataṃ mahat

Translation

Ob ungelehrt oder gelehrt: Ein Brāhmaṇa ist meine Gottheit. Ob das Feuer entzündet oder unentzündet ist — wie das Feuer in beiden Zuständen eine große Göttlichkeit bleibt.

Word by Word

• अविद्यः: unlearned
• अविद्यः: Karta (Subject complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अविद्य (प्रातिपदिक; अ-विद्य)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘ब्राह्मणः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

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

• सविद्यः: learned
• सविद्यः: Karta (Subject complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सविद्य (प्रातिपदिक; स-विद्य)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘ब्राह्मणः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

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

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दैवतम्: deity, divine object of reverence
• दैवतम्: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैवत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

• प्रणीतः: consecrated, duly kindled/led forth
• प्रणीतः: Karta (Subject complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-नी (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय) → प्रणीत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘अग्निः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

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

• अप्रणीतः: unconsecrated, not duly kindled
• अप्रणीतः: Karta (Subject complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अप्रणीत (प्रातिपदिक; अ-प्रणीत)
• Form: क्तान्त-विशेषण, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘अग्निः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

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

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparator/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानार्थक अव्यय (as/just as)

• अग्निः: fire
• अग्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• दैवतम्: a deity
• दैवतम्: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैवत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विधेय

• महत्: great
• महत्: Karta (Predicate qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; ‘दैवतम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the assembled sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī / Pārvatī (addressed as ‘varānane’, ‘mahādevī’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene in Prabhāsa: a revered brāhmaṇa seated calmly; beside him a fire-altar with both a bright flame and an unkindled ember shown symbolically, illustrating inherent divinity.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Agni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence is due to the Brāhmaṇa-status as a dharmic principle, not merely to external measures of learning or display.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where dharma of honoring Brāhmaṇas is taught as part of the sacred-place greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is detailed; the verse establishes a rule of unwavering reverence, illustrated through the agni analogy.