Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

नमस्कारेण शूद्रस्य क्रियासिद्धिर्भवेद्ध्रुवम् । निषिद्धाचरणं कुर्वन्पितृभिः सह मज्जति

Transliteration

namaskāreṇa śūdrasya kriyāsiddhirbhaveddhruvam | niṣiddhācaraṇaṃ kurvanpitṛbhiḥ saha majjati

Translation

Für einen Śūdra ist die Vollendung der Riten gewiss durch ehrerbietigen namaskāra gesichert. Wer jedoch Verbotenes tut, sinkt zusammen mit seinen Ahnen hinab.

Word by Word

• नमस्कारेण: by salutation
• नमस्कारेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• शूद्रस्य: of a śūdra
• शूद्रस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• क्रियासिद्धिः: success of rites
• क्रियासिद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया + सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (क्रियायाः सिद्धिः)

• भवेत्: would be/should occur
• भवेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययीभूत-नपुंसक एकवचन (adverbial accusative)

• निषिद्धाचरणम्: forbidden conduct
• निषिद्धाचरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निषिद्ध + आचरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (निषिद्धम् आचरणम्)

• कुर्वन्: doing
• कुर्वन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), परस्मैपदी; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः

• पितृभिः: with the ancestors
• पितृभिः: Sahakari (Co-agent/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahartha (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सहार्थक-अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable)

• मज्जति: sinks (into hell)/is ruined
• मज्जति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मज्ज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa Māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at Prabhāsa stands with folded hands (namaskāra) before a sacred shrine/shoreline; behind him, shadowy ancestral figures rise or sink depending on conduct, illustrating uplift through reverence versus downfall through forbidden acts.

Characters & Entities

• Śūdra
• namaskāra
• pitṛ (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility and lawful conduct sustain spiritual efficacy; prohibited actions are said to bring ancestral downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, where the text frames right conduct as integral to tīrtha merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Namaskāra is recommended as an effective practice, while niṣiddha (forbidden) acts are warned against.