Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

परनिन्दां च पैशुन्यं परस्य परिवञ्चनम् । परान्नं परपाकं च सति वित्ते त्यजेद्बुधः

Transliteration

paranindāṃ ca paiśunyaṃ parasya parivañcanam | parānnaṃ parapākaṃ ca sati vitte tyajedbudhaḥ

Translation

Quand on possède des moyens suffisants, le sage doit renoncer à médire d’autrui, à la délation malveillante, à tromper les autres, et à dépendre de la nourriture ou de la cuisine d’autrui.

Word by Word

• परनिन्दाम्: censure of others
• परनिन्दाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर-निन्दा (प्रातिपदिक; निन्दा-शब्द)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (परस्य निन्दा)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• पैशुन्यम्: slander, tale-bearing
• पैशुन्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पैशुन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• परस्य: of another
• परस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• परिवञ्चनम्: deceiving
• परिवञ्चनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परि-√वञ्च् (धातु) + अन (प्रत्यय) → परिवञ्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• परान्नम्: another’s food
• परान्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर-अन्न (प्रातिपदिक; अन्न-शब्द)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (परस्य अन्नम्)

• परपाकम्: another’s cooking/meal
• परपाकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर-पाक (प्रातिपदिक; पाक-शब्द)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (परस्य पाकः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• सति: when there is/being present
• सति: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक; √अस् धातु से)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• वित्ते: wealth
• वित्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी-सम्बद्ध

• त्यजेत्: should abandon
• त्यजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• बुधः: a wise person
• बुधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Nārada (instructing sages/pilgrims; speaker attribution from immediate narrative context of Adhyāya 30)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (as ethical field)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim with means turns away from a gossiping group and instead offers honest help; symbolic dark speech-forms dissolve as he chooses silence and integrity.

Characters & Entities

• Dvārakā
• Sadācāra
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is protected by ethical speech and integrity; spiritual travel is undermined by slander and deceit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is the implied tīrtha context; the verse teaches yātrā-ethics connected with reaching Dvārakā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A niyama (discipline): renounce slander, tale-bearing, cheating, and—when capable—dependency on others’ food/cooking.