Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

अतो न कार्यमस्माभिर्ब्राह्मणानां तु हेलनम् । हेलनाद्बहवो दोषा भविष्यंति न चान्यथा

Transliteration

ato na kāryamasmābhirbrāhmaṇānāṃ tu helanam | helanādbahavo doṣā bhaviṣyaṃti na cānyathā

Translation

«C’est pourquoi nous ne devons jamais mépriser les brāhmaṇas ; du mépris naîtront assurément bien des fautes, et il n’en ira pas autrement.»

Word by Word

• ataḥ: therefore
• ataḥ: Sambandha (Logical connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), हेत्वर्थ/तस्मात्-अर्थे (therefore)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• kāryam: to be done; proper (act)
• kāryam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक; √kṛ (धातु) + यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular)

• asmābhiḥ: by us
• asmābhiḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (1st person pronoun, instrumental plural)

• brāhmaṇānām: of Brahmins
• brāhmaṇānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (masculine, genitive plural)

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण/विरोधार्थक (but/indeed)

• helanam: disrespect; slighting
• helanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: helana (प्रातिपदिक; √hel (धातु) + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular)

• helanāt: from disrespect; due to disrespect
• helanāt: Apādāna (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: helana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, ablative singular)

• bahavaḥ: many
• bahavaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (masculine, nominative plural)

• doṣāḥ: faults; evils
• doṣāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: doṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (masculine, nominative plural)

• bhaviṣyanti: will arise; will occur
• bhaviṣyanti: Kriyā (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (simple future), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद (3rd person plural)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• anyathā: otherwise
• anyathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारार्थक (otherwise)

Speaker

Śakra (Indra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Himalayan tīrtha setting: pilgrims and devas/ascetics in a cedar-lined hermitage precinct; a central figure instructs companions on the danger of brāhmaṇa-contempt, with brāhmaṇas depicted serene and radiant.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Indra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Honor toward the spiritually disciplined safeguards society and oneself; contempt breeds cascading faults.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is cited; the verse is a general dharma teaching within the Kedāra section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an ethical prohibition against helanā (disrespect).