Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

आदिमध्यावसानानां ज्ञानानां छिन्नसंशयाः । परापरविशेषज्ञा नेतारः परमां गतिम् । अवध्या ब्राह्मणास्तस्मात्पापेष्वपि रताः सदा

Transliteration

ādimadhyāvasānānāṃ jñānānāṃ chinnasaṃśayāḥ | parāparaviśeṣajñā netāraḥ paramāṃ gatim | avadhyā brāhmaṇāstasmātpāpeṣvapi ratāḥ sadā

Translation

Han cortado la duda acerca del conocimiento—su comienzo, su medio y su fin. Conociendo la distinción entre lo supremo y lo inferior, conducen hacia la meta suprema. Por ello, los brāhmaṇas no deben ser muertos, aun si estuvieran siempre entregados al pecado.

Word by Word

• आदि-मध्य-अवसानानाम्: of beginnings, middles, and ends
• आदि-मध्य-अवसानानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि + मध्य + अवसान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्वः—आदीनि च मध्यानि च अवसानानि च (beginnings, middles, and ends)

• ज्ञानानाम्: of knowledges/insights
• ज्ञानानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• छिन्नसंशयाः: with doubts dispelled
• छिन्नसंशयाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छिन्न (कृदन्त) + संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—छिन्नाः संशयाः येषाम् (whose doubts are cut off)

• परापरविशेषज्ञाः: knowers of the distinction between higher and lower
• परापरविशेषज्ञाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर + अपर + विशेष + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—परापरयोः विशेषं जानन्ति (knowers of distinctions between higher and lower)

• नेतारः: leaders/guides
• नेतारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेतृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• परमाम्: supreme
• परमाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (gatim)

• गतिम्: goal/path
• गतिम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अवध्याः: not to be killed, inviolable
• अवध्याः: Pradhāna-predicative (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; नञ्-समास-निष्पन्न विशेषण—न वध्याः (not to be slain)

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक: तद्)
• Form: हेतु-अव्यय (ablatival adverb: ‘therefore/from that’)

• पापेषु: in sins/evil acts
• पापेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-निपात (even/also)

• रताः: engaged, devoted
• रताः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम् (धातु) → रत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (brāhmaṇāḥ)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the assembled sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene assembly in Prabhāsa: a venerable brahmana-teacher instructs pilgrims, cutting their doubts; a protective aura signifies the inviolability of the brahmana despite worldly faults.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Parā (higher reality)
• Aparā (lower reality)
• Paramā gati (supreme goal)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Those established in spiritual discernment are to be protected; violence toward them is condemned as a grave dharmic transgression.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where dharma concerning conduct toward Brāhmaṇas is taught as part of the site’s sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A strong ethical injunction is given: Brāhmaṇas are avadhya (not to be killed), emphasizing ahiṃsā and restraint.