Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

यद्राजा कुरुते पापं प्रमादाद्यच्च विभ्रमात् । वसन्तो ब्राह्मणा राष्ट्रे श्रोत्रियाः शमयन्ति तत्

Transliteration

yadrājā kurute pāpaṃ pramādādyacca vibhramāt | vasanto brāhmaṇā rāṣṭre śrotriyāḥ śamayanti tat

Translation

Welche Sünde auch immer der König aus Nachlässigkeit oder Verblendung begeht, die im Reich wohnenden gelehrten Brāhmaṇas—śrotriyas, kundig im heiligen Hören und in der Überlieferung—besänftigen und lösen sie auf.

Word by Word

• yat: whatever (that)
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• kurute: does/commits
• kurute: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• pāpam: sin
• pāpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• pramādāt: from negligence
• pramādāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pramāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (ablative of cause)

• yat: whatever (that)
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• vibhramāt: from delusion/error
• vibhramāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे

• vasantaḥ: dwelling/residing
• vasantaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vas (धातु) + śatṛ (कृत्)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विशेषण (brāhmaṇāḥ इति)

• brāhmaṇāḥ: Brahmins
• brāhmaṇāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• rāṣṭre: in the kingdom
• rāṣṭre: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāṣṭra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; अधिकरणे

• śrotriyāḥ: learned in the Veda
• śrotriyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śrotriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विशेषण (brāhmaṇāḥ)

• śamayanti: pacify/remove
• śamayanti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śam (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• tat: that (sin)
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; अन्वादेश (correlative pronoun)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from nearby verses identifying Brāhmaṇas as Śiva’s form)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience including rulers and pilgrims

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of śrotriya brāhmaṇas performs a śānti-homa; flames rise gently, mantras visualized as luminous syllables; the king stands behind with humility as dark ‘sin-smoke’ dissipates into clear sky.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Rājā
• Śrotriya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The presence of Veda-grounded Brāhmaṇas functions as a spiritual safeguard for society, reducing the fallout of rulers’ errors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where dharmic social order is praised as part of the site’s greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied: maintaining śrotriya Brāhmaṇas who uphold śruti through recitation, rites, and dharmic conduct.