Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

न तेन सह भाषेत न पश्येत्तं नरं क्वचित् । तत्संभाषणमात्रेण महापातकभाग्भवेत्

Transliteration

na tena saha bhāṣeta na paśyettaṃ naraṃ kvacit | tatsaṃbhāṣaṇamātreṇa mahāpātakabhāgbhavet

Translation

Qu’on ne lui adresse pas la parole, qu’on ne voie cet homme nulle part ; par le seul fait de converser avec lui, on devient participant d’un grand péché.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• tena: with him
• tena: Sahakāraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahakāraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-शब्दः (indeclinable: with)

• bhāṣeta: should speak
• bhāṣeta: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhāṣ भाष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• paśyet: should see
• paśyet: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś दृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (पश्येत्)

• tam: him
• tam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• naram: man/person
• naram: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तम् इति सर्वनामस्य विशेष्यः

• kvacit: anywhere
• kvacit: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: anywhere/ever)

• tat-saṃbhāṣaṇa-mātreṇa: by mere conversation with him
• tat-saṃbhāṣaṇa-mātreṇa: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + saṃbhāṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक; √bhāṣ भाष् + सम् + ल्युट्) + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (तस्य संभाषणस्य मात्रेण = by mere conversation with him)

• mahā-pātaka-bhāk: a sharer in great sin
• mahā-pātaka-bhāk: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + pātaka (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāj/bhāk (प्रातिपदिक; √bhaj भज् ‘to partake’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (महापातकस्य भागी)

• bhavet: would become
• bhavet: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Not explicit in snippet (Setukhaṇḍa narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra / Setubandha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Setu-dharma inquirer (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A righteous pilgrim turns away, hand raised in restraint, refusing speech with a condemned man; behind them the tīrtha path and temple towers; a subtle dark aura around the wrongdoer symbolizes mahāpātaka-share.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity of association is treated as spiritually consequential; even casual contact can normalize or share in grave wrongdoing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setu Māhātmya frame remains in the background; this verse is a general dharma warning.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the instruction is avoidance (tyāga of harmful saṅga).