Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

स्पर्शं मा कुरु पापिष्ठ ब्राह्मणं मां कृताह्निकम् । तं दृष्ट्वा दानवं विष्णुर्ब्राह्मणं हन्तुमुद्यतम्

Transliteration

sparśaṃ mā kuru pāpiṣṭha brāhmaṇaṃ māṃ kṛtāhnikam | taṃ dṛṣṭvā dānavaṃ viṣṇurbrāhmaṇaṃ hantumudyatam

Translation

“Do not touch me, O most sinful one—I am a Brāhmaṇa who has completed his daily rites.” Seeing the Dānava poised to strike the Brāhmaṇa, Viṣṇu took heed, ready to intervene.

Word by Word

• sparśam: touch
• sparśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sparśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• mā: do not
• mā: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mā (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (prohibitive particle)

• kuru: do/make
• kuru: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ) (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपदी, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• pāpiṣṭha: O most sinful one
• pāpiṣṭha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन (Vocative), पुल्लिङ्ग, एकवचन; अतिशय-तमा (superlative sense: 'most sinful')

• brāhmaṇam: the brāhmaṇa
• brāhmaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• kṛtāhnikam: who has performed the daily rites
• kṛtāhnikam: Karma-visheṣaṇa (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta (कृदन्त; √kṛ कृ, past participle) + āhnika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः = कृत-आह्निक (one who has performed daily rites), पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (agreeing with mām)

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (दृश्) (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• dānavam: the Dānava (demon)
• dānavam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• viṣṇuḥ: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• brāhmaṇam: the brāhmaṇa
• brāhmaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• hantum: to kill
• hantum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √han (हन्) (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive)

• udyatam: ready/raised (to act)
• udyatam: Karma-visheṣaṇa (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: udyata (कृदन्त; ud + √yam यम्, past participle)
• Form: विशेषण, पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (agreeing with dānavam)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇa (addressing the Dānava); narration continues

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A frightened yet dignified Brāhmaṇa, fresh from āhnika, raises a hand in prohibition; a Dānava looms to strike; Viṣṇu turns sharply, protective resolve awakening.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Dānava
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Harming a Brāhmaṇa—especially one established in daily rites—is portrayed as a grave breach of dharma that invites divine intervention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, where the sanctity of Vedic conduct (āhnika) is upheld and protected.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Āhnika—daily religious duties (such as sandhyā, japa, and purificatory observances)—is referenced as already performed.