Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

तत्कथं मम विप्रेन्द्राश्चंडालस्याधमात्मनः । धर्ममेवं विजानन्तो नूनमन्नं जिहीर्षथ

Transliteration

tatkathaṃ mama viprendrāścaṃḍālasyādhamātmanaḥ | dharmamevaṃ vijānanto nūnamannaṃ jihīrṣatha

Translation

¿Cómo, entonces, oh el mejor de los brahmanes, vosotros que conocéis así el dharma, pretendéis ahora tomar alimento de mí, un caṇḍāla de naturaleza vil?

Word by Word

• तत्: then/therefore
• तत्: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् (तद्-शब्दः प्रश्नार्थे/अन्वयार्थे), ‘तत्’ = ‘then/therefore’

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Interrogative modifier/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषणम् (interrogative adverb)

• मम: of me/my
• मम: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• विप्रेन्द्राः: O best of Brahmins
• विप्रेन्द्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्रेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक; विप्र + इन्द्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (विप्राणाम् इन्द्राः)

• चण्डालस्य: of a caṇḍāla
• चण्डालस्य: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्डाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अधमात्मनः: of (me) whose self is base / of the vile-souled
• अधमात्मनः: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधम + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः (अधमः आत्मा यस्य/अधम आत्मा)

• धर्मम्: dharma, righteous rule
• धर्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• एवम्: thus/in this way
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषणम् (manner adverb)

• विजानन्तः: knowing/understanding
• विजानन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + ज्ञा (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वि-ज्ञा (अवबोधने) धातोः शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्तम्; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• नूनम्: surely
• नूनम्: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नूनम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निश्चयार्थक (certainly)

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• जिहीर्षथ: you wish to take away
• जिहीर्षथ: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु) (हरणे)
• Form: इच्छार्थक-देशिदेरिवेटिव (Desiderative) जिहीर्ष- (हृ धातोः सन्); लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

A caṇḍāla (addressing Brahmin sages/pilgrims)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis (frame, typical) / internal interlocutors: sages addressed by the caṇḍāla

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A humbled caṇḍāla addresses a group of austere sages at Prabhāsa, questioning how they can accept food from him despite knowing dharma; the moment is charged with social boundary and compassion.

Characters & Entities

• Caṇḍāla
• Vipra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma involves discernment; the verse sets up a conflict between strict purity codes and the realities of survival and compassion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where nuanced dharma discussions form part of the sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a challenge within a dialogue about whether food may be accepted.