Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

यः शृणोति कथां वक्तुः समानासनमाश्रितः । गुरुतल्पसमं पापं संप्राप्य नरकं व्रजेत्

Transliteration

yaḥ śṛṇoti kathāṃ vaktuḥ samānāsanamāśritaḥ | gurutalpasamaṃ pāpaṃ saṃprāpya narakaṃ vrajet

Translation

Celui qui écoute le récit sacré en s’asseyant sur un siège égal à celui du récitant contracte un péché égal à la profanation du lit du guru ; et, chargé de cette faute, il va en enfer.

Word by Word

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचकः सापेक्ष-प्रयोगः (relative pronoun)

• शृणोति: he hears
• शृणोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• कथाम्: the story/discourse
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वक्तुः: of the speaker
• वक्तुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• समानासनम्: the same seat
• समानासनम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समान (प्रातिपदिक) + आसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (समानं आसनं यस्य/यत्र तत्)

• आश्रितः: having resorted to/occupying
• आश्रितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु) → आश्रित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (यः…आश्रितः)

• गुरुतल्पसमम्: equal to (the sin of) violating the guru’s bed
• गुरुतल्पसमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + तल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (गुरुतल्पेन समम्)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• संप्राप्य: having incurred/attained
• संप्राप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-प्र-आप् (धातु) → संप्राप्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Gati/Karma (Goal as object/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• व्रजेत्: would go
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Unknown (context not supplied; likely a purāṇic narrator within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred discourse hall: the vaktr̥ seated on an elevated vyāsāsana, listeners seated below with folded hands; one arrogant listener attempts an equal seat, shadowed by imagery of naraka as moral warning.

Characters & Entities

• Guru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Honor the teacher’s position; spiritual knowledge is received through humility and proper decorum.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; it concerns dharma in teaching assemblies.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not occupy an equal seat with the speaker/ācārya while listening.