Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

केनापमानितो ब्रह्मन्नियमः केन खण्डितः । कथयस्व महाभाग धर्मपाले मयि स्थिते

Transliteration

kenāpamānito brahmanniyamaḥ kena khaṇḍitaḥ | kathayasva mahābhāga dharmapāle mayi sthite

Translation

Par qui, ô Brahmane, ton vœu religieux a-t-il été déshonoré ? Par qui a-t-il été brisé ? Dis-le-moi, ô fortuné, alors que je me tiens ici en tant que gardien du Dharma.

Word by Word

• kena: by whom
• kena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• apamānitaḥ: insulted
• apamānitaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apa-mān (धातु/नामधातु) → apamānita (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle)

• brahman: O Brahmin / O revered one
• brahman: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन (Vocative)

• niyamaḥ: rule/observance
• niyamaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niyama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• kena: by whom
• kena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया, एकवचन

• khaṇḍitaḥ: broken/violated
• khaṇḍitaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: khaṇḍ (धातु) → khaṇḍita (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्यय

• kathayasva: tell (me)
• kathayasva: Kriyā (आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kathaya (कथ् धातोः णिच्)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• mahā-bhāga: O fortunate one
• mahā-bhāga: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘महान् भागः यस्य’/‘महाभाग’); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• dharma-pāle: in the protector of dharma
• dharma-pāle: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + pāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘धर्मस्य पालः’); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• mayi: in me
• mayi: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• sthite: when (I am) present/standing
• sthite: Adhikaraṇa (सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध/Locative absolute)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु) → sthita (कृदन्त)
• Form: सप्तमी, एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक (context: mayi sthite = locative absolute); क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle)

Speaker

Vāmana/Trivikrama (Viṣṇu) addressing Durvāsā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vāmana stands firm, protective, questioning the brāhmaṇa with measured authority; the brāhmaṇa listens, ready to narrate; the scene feels like a divine court inquiry in Dvārakā.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu (Dharmapāla)
• Durvāsā (Brahmin sage)
• Niyama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord is portrayed as Dharmapāla—actively upholding and investigating violations of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not directly; the verse is dialogic within the Dvārakā Māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Niyama (religious discipline) is referenced as something to be preserved; no specific vrata is enumerated here.