Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणोऽहं न हंतव्यः श्रुत्वा चाऽतीव पीडितः । तं दृष्ट्वा हन्यमानं तु ब्राह्मणं तैर्दुरात्मभिः

Transliteration

brāhmaṇo'haṃ na haṃtavyaḥ śrutvā cā'tīva pīḍitaḥ | taṃ dṛṣṭvā hanyamānaṃ tu brāhmaṇaṃ tairdurātmabhiḥ

Translation

«Je suis un brāhmaṇa ; on ne doit pas me tuer !»—bien qu’il criât ainsi, il fut cruellement tourmenté. Voyant ce brāhmaṇa battu par ces êtres pervers…

Word by Word

• brāhmaṇaḥ: a brāhmaṇa
• brāhmaṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• hantavyaḥ: to be killed (fit to be killed)
• hantavyaḥ: Kriyā (Predicate obligation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han (धातु) + tavya (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; 'to be killed' (negated)

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु) + ktvā (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• atīva: exceedingly
• atīva: Sambandha (Degree)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atīva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अतिशयार्थक (intensifier)

• pīḍitaḥ: afflicted
• pīḍitaḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective to implied subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pīḍ (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; (afflicted)

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

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु) + ktvā (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive)

• hanyamānam: being beaten/killed
• hanyamānam: Karman (Object qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han (धातु) + śānac (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: शानच्-वर्तमान-कृदन्त, कर्मणि (present passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (to 'tam/brāhmaṇam')

• tu: but; indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/विरोधार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

• brāhmaṇam: the brāhmaṇa
• brāhmaṇam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; (apposition to 'tam')

• taiḥ: by them
• taiḥ: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्; सर्वनाम (by them)

• durātmabhiḥ: by wicked-souled (ones)
• durātmabhiḥ: Kartr̥ (Agent qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: durātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (to 'taiḥ')

Speaker

Deductive (Dvārakā Māhātmya narration; traditionally Sūta speaking to the sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (Ānarta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tormented brāhmaṇa/ṛṣi cries out for protection while wicked men beat him; the sacred coastal atmosphere of Dvārakā/Ānarta contrasts with the violence.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Daitya (durātmānaḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text reinforces dharma’s prohibition against harming brāhmaṇas and frames violence against the righteous as a mark of durātmatā (wickedness).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode unfolds at the tīrtha-bathing setting of the chapter (Cakratīrtha/saṅgama near Dvārakā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is prescribed here; the focus is ethical (non-violence toward the brāhmaṇa) amid the ongoing snāna context.