Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 115

Devanagari script

अधार्मिका जनास्तेषामा जीवो विहितः पुरा । वर्णाश्रमाचारहीनाः कारुशिल्पिजनास्तथा

Transliteration

adhārmikā janāsteṣāmā jīvo vihitaḥ purā | varṇāśramācārahīnāḥ kāruśilpijanāstathā

Translation

«Depuis jadis, il fut prescrit que leur subsistance viendrait des gens sans dharma : ceux qui sont privés des observances de varṇa et d’āśrama, et de même des artisans et gens de métier à la conduite déchue.»

Word by Word

• अधार्मिकाः: unrighteous
• अधार्मिकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधार्मिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• जीवः: life; livelihood
• जीवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• विहितः: was ordained/assigned
• विहितः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + धा (धातु) → विहित (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate)

• पुरा: formerly; in the past
• पुरा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• वर्णाश्रमाचारहीनाः: devoid of varṇa- and āśrama-conduct
• वर्णाश्रमाचारहीनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्ण + आश्रम + आचार + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/निर्धारणार्थः) = वर्णाश्रमाचारात् हीनाः

• कारुशिल्पिजनाः: people who are artisans and craftsmen
• कारुशिल्पिजनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारु + शिल्पि + जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुषः) = कारवः शिल्पिनश्च ये जनाः

• तथा: also; likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Discourse connective/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/तुल्यतावाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘also/likewise’)

Speaker

Unspecified first-person narrator within Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya (contextual narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Didactic tableau: on one side disciplined pilgrims with clean attire and offerings; on the other, figures engaged in theft/deceit and impure conduct, with shadowy piśācas drawing sustenance from their aura.

Characters & Entities

• Varṇāśrama
• Piśāca

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It warns that adharma and abandonment of disciplined conduct invite harmful influences and degraded outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where dharmic norms are reinforced through narrative consequences.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; the verse frames ethical conduct (ācāra) as a protective, sustaining principle.