Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

केचिच्च भग्नपात्रास्ते भग्नदं ण्डास्तथापरे । प्रनष्टाश्च विवस्त्रास्ते वीतरागमिति ब्रुवन्

Transliteration

kecicca bhagnapātrāste bhagnadaṃ ṇḍāstathāpare | pranaṣṭāśca vivastrāste vītarāgamiti bruvan

Translation

Les uns avaient des écuelles d’aumône brisées, d’autres des bâtons rompus. Certains erraient perdus, même dépouillés de vêtements; et pourtant ils déclaraient sans cesse : «Nous sommes vītarāga, affranchis de l’attachement».

Word by Word

• केचित्: some (people)
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (प्रातिपदिक, सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• भग्नपात्राः: having broken bowls
• भग्नपात्राः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भग्न (कृदन्त, √भञ्ज् (धातु) + क्त) + पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (broken + bowls/vessels)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक, सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• भग्नदण्डाः: having broken staffs
• भग्नदण्डाः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भग्न (कृदन्त, √भञ्ज् + क्त) + दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: in that manner)

• अपरे: others
• अपरे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• प्रनष्टाः: lost/ruined
• प्रनष्टाः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रनष्ट (कृदन्त, √नश् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• विवस्त्राः: naked/without garments
• विवस्त्राः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि- (उपसर्ग) + वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; नञर्थक/वियोगार्थक-उपसर्गयुक्त (without clothes)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक, सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• वीतरागम्: the passionless one
• वीतरागम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीत (कृदन्त, √इ (धातु) + क्त, उपसर्ग वि-) + राग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः तत्पुरुषार्थ (one whose passion has gone)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• ब्रुवन्: saying
• ब्रुवन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa relating the episode)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of distressed mendicant-like figures with broken bowls and snapped staffs, some half-clothed, proclaiming ‘vītarāga’ amid a forest clearing; contrast between their words and their agitation.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer marks of renunciation can collapse, but true detachment is tested by conduct and humility, not slogans.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dharmāraṇya (Dharma-forest) setting is being developed as a māhātmya context, emphasizing the sanctity of the region where dharma is examined.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; the verse critiques appearances and emphasizes inner vairāgya.