Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणा ऊचुः । कथं पाखंडधर्मेण लुप्तशासनको भवान् । पालयस्व नृपश्रेष्ठ मा स्म पापे मनः कृथाः

Transliteration

brāhmaṇā ūcuḥ | kathaṃ pākhaṃḍadharmeṇa luptaśāsanako bhavān | pālayasva nṛpaśreṣṭha mā sma pāpe manaḥ kṛthāḥ

Translation

Les brāhmaṇas dirent : «Comment, par une voie d’hérésie, es-tu devenu celui qui a rejeté l’ordonnance établie ? Ô meilleur des rois, maintiens-la et protège-la ; ne tourne pas ton esprit vers le péché.»

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• पाखण्डधर्मेण: by/through heretical religion
• पाखण्डधर्मेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाखण्ड-धर्म (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• लुप्तशासनकः: one whose rule/discipline is lost
• लुप्तशासनकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लुप्त-शासनक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• भवान्: you (sir)
• भवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular), आदरार्थ-प्रयोग (honorific)

• पालयस्व: protect / govern
• पालयस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पाल् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• नृपश्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• नृपश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप-श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• मा: do not
• मा: Pratishedha (Prohibition/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (prohibitive particle)

• स्म: indeed (prohibitive emphasis)
• स्म: Pratishedha-sahayaka (Prohibitive auxiliary/निषेध-सहायक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्म (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; with मा for strong prohibition)

• पापे: in/into sin
• पापे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• मनः: mind
• मनः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कृथाः: make / set
• कृथाः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद; मा-निषेधेन निषेधाज्ञा (prohibitive)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of brāhmaṇas in a forest hermitage admonish a king seated on a simple throne or deer-skin seat, urging him to uphold established ordinance and not incline to sin; austere trees and sacrificial implements in the background.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇas
• Kumārapāla (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Religious authority is contested in Purāṇic dialogue, revealing tension between inherited ordinance and evolving ethical ideals.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya functions as the sacred forum for this debate; the verse does not single out a separate pilgrimage spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general injunction is given: “uphold the ordinance (śāsana),” rather than a specific rite.