Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

दुराचाराभिधो विप्रो गौतमीतीरमाश्रितः । कश्चिदस्ति द्विजाः पापी क्रूरकर्मरतः सदा

Transliteration

durācārābhidho vipro gautamītīramāśritaḥ | kaścidasti dvijāḥ pāpī krūrakarmarataḥ sadā

Translation

Il y avait un brāhmaṇa nommé Durācāra, établi sur la rive de la Gautamī ; il était pécheur, ô deux-fois-nés, et toujours adonné à des actes cruels.

Word by Word

• दुराचाराभिधः: named ‘Durācāra’
• दुराचाराभिधः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुराचार (प्रातिपदिक) + अभिध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः—दुराचारः इति अभिधा यस्य (नाम)

• विप्रः: a brāhmaṇa
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• गौतमीतीरम्: the bank of the Gautamī (river)
• गौतमीतीरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौतमी (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—गौतमी-नद्याः तीरम्

• आश्रितः: having resorted to / dwelling at
• आश्रितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कश्चित्: a certain (one)
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक-सर्वनाम

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• द्विजाः: O twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे अपि प्रयुज्यते (vocative sense)

• पापी: sinful
• पापी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• क्रूरकर्मरतः: engaged in cruel deeds
• क्रूरकर्मरतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रूर (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः—क्रूरे कर्मणि रतः

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Sūta (context continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gautamī (Godāvarī) tīra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijāḥ / dvijottamāḥ (addressed audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grim brāhmaṇa with harsh eyes and neglected sacred marks stands on the lush bank of the Gautamī; the river flows serenely, contrasting his inner corruption with the tīrtha’s purity.

Characters & Entities

• Durācāra
• Gautamī (Godāvarī)
• Brāhmaṇa
• Dvijas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa frames a redemption narrative: even one of bad conduct can later be transformed through sacred means.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhanuṣkoṭi is the main tīrtha of the episode, while the Gautamī bank is given as the sinner’s earlier dwelling.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription here; it characterizes the person whose sins will be cleansed later through tīrtha practice.