Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

पिशुनाय न पापाय नाशिष्यायाहिताय च । कथनीयमिदं पुण्यं नाव्रताय कथंचन

Transliteration

piśunāya na pāpāya nāśiṣyāyāhitāya ca | kathanīyamidaṃ puṇyaṃ nāvratāya kathaṃcana

Translation

Diese verdienstvolle Lehre soll weder dem Verleumder noch dem Sünder, noch einem, der kein Schüler ist und in böser Absicht handelt, mitgeteilt werden; und keinesfalls einem, der ohne Gelübde (undiszipliniert) ist.

Word by Word

• पिशुनाय: to a slanderer
• पिशुनाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिशुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (dative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (not)

• पापाय: to a sinful person
• पापाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• अशिष्याय: to an unfit disciple
• अशिष्याय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशिष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• अहिताय: to one who is harmful
• अहिताय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• कथनीयम्: is to be told
• कथनीयम्: Kriya (Obligation predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; अनीयर्-प्रत्यय (gerundive/obligatory passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पुण्यम्: meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (इदम् इति विशेष्यस्य)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• अव्रताय: to one without vows/discipline
• अव्रताय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अव्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• कथंचन: at all
• कथंचन: Adhikarana (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सर्वथा-निषेधार्थक (in any way/at all)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; secrecy/adhikāra instruction typical of purāṇic upadeśa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis at Naimiṣāraṇya (typical frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage in a coastal hermitage near Prabhāsa instructs a disciplined listener while turning away slanderers; palm-leaf manuscript held close, emphasizing secrecy and eligibility.

Characters & Entities

• Adhikāra (eligibility)
• Vrata (discipline)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred knowledge bears fruit when received with moral fitness, discipleship, and disciplined conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction governs transmission of the Prabhāsa-kṣetra teaching that has just been presented.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It prescribes adhikāra: the teaching is to be shared only with qualified, vow-observant listeners.