Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

अंगारराशीन्वै दीप्तान्ये गाहन्ते नराधमाः । स्वामिद्रोहरता ह्येते तथा हेतुप्रवादकाः

Transliteration

aṃgārarāśīnvai dīptānye gāhante narādhamāḥ | svāmidroharatā hyete tathā hetupravādakāḥ

Translation

Die niedrigsten der Menschen, die in Haufen glühender Kohlen eintauchen, sind jene, die sich dem Verrat am eigenen Herrn verschrieben haben, ebenso wie die, die Vorwände erdichten und verleumderische „Gründe“ vorbringen.

Word by Word

• अङ्गार-राशीन्: heaps of embers
• अङ्गार-राशीन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गार (प्रातिपदिक) + राशि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• दीप्तान्: blazing
• दीप्तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीप्त (कृदन्त; √दीप् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘अङ्गारराशीन्’

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• गाहन्ते: plunge into
• गाहन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गाह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नर-अधमाः: worst of men
• नर-अधमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + अधम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• स्वामि-द्रोह-रताः: delighting in treachery to their master
• स्वामि-द्रोह-रताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वामि (प्रातिपदिक) + द्रोह (प्रातिपदिक) + रत (कृदन्त; √रम् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘एते’

• हि: indeed
• हि: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तथा: also/likewise
• तथा: Discourse/Modifier
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• हेतु-प्रवादकाः: slanderers/false arguers (speakers of pretexts)
• हेतु-प्रवादकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रवादक (प्रातिपदिक; √वद् धातु-आधारित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A hell-vision of sinners forced into glowing ember-heaps, their bodies lit by orange-red heat; above, a moral narrator gestures, indicating that betrayal and slander ignite one’s own downfall.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Treachery and deceit corrode dharma; loyalty and truthful intention are demanded in relationships of duty and protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, whose Māhātmya situates moral governance and personal integrity within a sacred pilgrimage frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse warns against svāmi-droha and dishonest speech.