Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

श्रुतिभूदेवदेवानां नृपसाधुतपस्विनाम् । पतिव्रतानां नारीणां निन्दां कुर्यान्न कर्हि चित

Transliteration

śrutibhūdevadevānāṃ nṛpasādhutapasvinām | pativratānāṃ nārīṇāṃ nindāṃ kuryānna karhi cita

Translation

At no time should one utter slander against those revered by the Veda—the Devas, the brāhmaṇas (gods upon earth), righteous kings, saints and ascetics, nor devoted and chaste women, the pativratās.

Word by Word

• श्रुति: of the Vedas/śruti
• श्रुति: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन — genitive plural

• भू-देव-देवानाम्: of the gods of the earth (Brahmins) and of the gods
• भू-देव-देवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन — genitive plural; समासः: भूदेव (भूमेः देवः = ब्राह्मणः) + देवानाम्

• नृप: of kings
• नृप: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन — genitive plural (समाहार-निर्देशः सह पदैः)

• साधु: of the virtuous/saints
• साधु: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन — genitive plural (समाहार-निर्देशः)

• तपस्विनाम्: of ascetics
• तपस्विनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन — genitive plural

• पति-व्रतानाम्: of devoted wives (pativratās)
• पति-व्रतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन — genitive plural; समासः: पतिव्रता = पतिं प्रति व्रतम्/पतिव्रतधर्मयुक्ता

• नारीणाम्: of women
• नारीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन — genitive plural

• निन्दाम्: censure/blame
• निन्दाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निन्दा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular

• कुर्यात्: should do (i.e., should utter)
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन — should do

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय — negation particle

• कर्हि: ever/at any time
• कर्हि: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कर्हि (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय — temporal adverb

• चित्: even/at all
• चित्: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अनिश्चितार्थक-अव्यय — enclitic particle (emphatic/indefinite)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Purāṇic instruction style within Dharmāraṇyakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest-āśrama setting: a teacher instructs a gathered audience on guarding speech; devas above, brāhmaṇas and tapasvins seated; a pativratā woman depicted as radiant, symbolizing chastity and dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Śruti (Veda)
• Devas
• Bhūdevas (Brāhmaṇas)
• Nṛpa (King)
• Sādhus
• Tapasvins
• Pativratā women

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma begins with restraint of speech—never malign those who embody sacred authority, tapas, and virtue.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it lays universal conduct (sadācāra) appropriate for sacred settings like Dharmāraṇya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the injunction is ethical—avoid nindā (slander) of venerable persons.