Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

स्मशानेष्वपि तेजस्वी पावको नैव दुष्यति । हव्यकव्यव्यपेतोऽपि ब्राह्मणो नैव दुष्यति

Transliteration

smaśāneṣvapi tejasvī pāvako naiva duṣyati | havyakavyavyapeto'pi brāhmaṇo naiva duṣyati

Translation

Selbst auf dem Verbrennungsplatz wird das lodernde Feuer nicht befleckt. Ebenso wird ein Brāhmaṇa, auch wenn ihm die Opfergaben für Götter und Ahnen (havya-kavya) fehlen, dadurch nicht verunreinigt.

Word by Word

• स्मशानेषु: in cremation grounds
• स्मशानेषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्मशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; अर्थे—अपि/यद्यपि (even/also)

• तेजस्वी: radiant, powerful
• तेजस्वी: Karta (Subject complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तेजस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘पावकः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

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

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphasis: indeed/just)

• दुष्यति: is defiled, becomes impure
• दुष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दुष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• हव्यकव्यव्यपेतः: devoid of offerings to gods and ancestors
• हव्यकव्यव्यपेतः: Karta (Subject complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हव्य + कव्य + व्यपेत (प्रातिपदिक; वि-अप-इ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—हव्य-कव्य (द्वन्द्व) + व्यपेत (बहिर्गत-तत्पुरुषभावः: ‘हव्यकव्ययोः व्यपेतः’)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात, अव्यय; अर्थे—अपि (even)

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

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात

• दुष्यति: is defiled
• दुष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दुष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (deduced, addressing Devī with vocatives like varānane/mahādevi in the surrounding verses)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī / Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic juxtaposition: a cremation-ground at dusk with a bright, untouched sacred fire; nearby a humble brāhmaṇa without patrons, yet radiant and untainted, illustrating non-defilement.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Pāvaka (Fire)
• Smaśāna (cremation-ground)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True purity is intrinsic to dharma: like fire that remains pure, a brāhmaṇa’s essential sanctity is not reduced by harsh circumstances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra (Prabhāsa), praised as a sacred field where dharma and right reverence are upheld.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the verse supports the dharmic principle of honoring brāhmaṇas irrespective of material lack of havya-kavya.