Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 127

Devanagari script

एकस्मिन्निधनं प्राप्ते पापिष्ठे क्रूरकर्मणि । बहूनां भवति क्षेमस्तत्र पुण्यप्रदो वधः । सत्येवं पृथिवीपाल धर्म्मं मा त्यक्तुमर्हसि

Transliteration

ekasminnidhanaṃ prāpte pāpiṣṭhe krūrakarmaṇi | bahūnāṃ bhavati kṣemastatra puṇyaprado vadhaḥ | satyevaṃ pṛthivīpāla dharmmaṃ mā tyaktumarhasi

Translation

Wenn der Tod einen einzigen trifft, den sündigsten und von grausamer Tat, finden viele Schutz; in einem solchen Fall wird diese Tötung zur Spenderin von Verdienst. Darum, o Beschützer der Erde, da dies wahr ist, gib das Dharma nicht auf.

Word by Word

• ekasmin: in one (person/place)
• ekasmin: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• nidhanaṃ: death, destruction
• nidhanaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nidhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• prāpte: when (it) has occurred/been reached
• prāpte: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √āp (धातु) + pra-; prāpta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• pāpiṣṭhe: in the most sinful (one)
• pāpiṣṭhe: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अतिशय (superlative -iṣṭha)

• krūra-karmaṇi: in (one) of cruel deeds
• krūra-karmaṇi: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: krūra (प्रातिपदिक) + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासः (क्रूरं कर्म यस्य/यत्र)

• bahūnām: of many
• bahūnām: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• bhavati: becomes, occurs
• bhavati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• kṣemaḥ: welfare, safety
• kṣemaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣema (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• tatra: there, in that case
• tatra: Desha-adhikarana (Locative adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• puṇya-pradaḥ: bestowing merit
• puṇya-pradaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक) + prada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (पुण्यं प्रददाति इति)

• vadhaḥ: killing, execution
• vadhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vadha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• satya: true
• satya: Prayojaka (Assertive/वाक्यप्रवर्तक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; वाक्यांशे ‘सत्यं’ इत्यर्थे

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (manner adverb)

• pṛthivī-pāla: O king (protector of the earth)
• pṛthivī-pāla: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthivī (प्रातिपदिक) + pāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पृथिव्याः पालः)

• dharmam: dharma, duty
• dharmam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• mā: do not
• mā: Nishedha (Prohibition/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेधार्थक कण (prohibitive particle)

• tyaktum: to abandon
• tyaktum: Karma-pravacaniya (Complement/पूरक)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tyaj (धातु); tyaktum (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), परस्मैपदी धातु

• arhasi: you ought/are fit
• arhasi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √arh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Vasudhā (Bhū-devī / Earth-goddess)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral-legal argument visualized: the speaker contrasts one cruel sinner versus the safety of many; the king stands as judge, with scales/scroll motifs, soldiers restrained, citizens in background seeking protection.

Characters & Entities

• Vasudhā
• Pṛthivīpāla (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rāja-dharma may require firm action against the cruel when it protects the many; dharma is measured by welfare (kṣema) and restraint from needless harm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, serving as the setting for dharma-instruction within the māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is stated; the emphasis is on governance ethics and the protection of society.