Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 169

Devanagari script

ब्रह्महत्यामवाप्नोति भोजको लोभमोहितः । महारौरवमासाद्य पच्यते शाश्वतीः समाः

Transliteration

brahmahatyāmavāpnoti bhojako lobhamohitaḥ | mahārauravamāsādya pacyate śāśvatīḥ samāḥ

Translation

Ce Bhojaka, égaré par la convoitise, encourt le péché de brahma-hatyā ; et, parvenu à l’enfer Mahāraurava, il y est tourmenté durant des années sans fin.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्महत्याम्: the sin of Brahmin-slaying
• ब्रह्महत्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणः हत्या)

• अवाप्नोति: attains/incurs
• अवाप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आप् (धातु) + अव (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• भोजकः: a Bhojaka (person of Bhojaka class/tribe)
• भोजकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लोभमोहितः: deluded by greed
• लोभमोहितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोभ (प्रातिपदिक) + मोहित (कृदन्त; √मुह्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), समासः—तत्पुरुष (लोभेन मोहितः)

• महारौरवम्: the great Raurava (hell)
• महारौरवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + रौरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महच्च तत् रौरवम्)

• आसाद्य: having reached
• आसाद्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √सद् (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• पच्यते: is tormented/suffers (lit. is cooked)
• पच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• शाश्वतीः: eternal
• शाश्वतीः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाश्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; 'समाः' इति विशेषणम्

• समाः: years
• समाः: Karma (Extent/कर्म-प्रमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator in Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral-vision tableau: the greedy Bhojaka is shown falling from the temple precinct into the terrifying Mahāraurava hellscape—dark caverns, instruments of torment—contrasted with the serene sanctum above.

Characters & Entities

• Bhojaka
• Brahmahatyā
• Mahāraurava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacrilege driven by greed is portrayed as a catastrophic sin with severe post-mortem consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The admonition is embedded in the Arkasthala/Prabhāsakṣetra setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A strict ethical injunction: temple attendants must not violate offerings; the text warns of brahmahatyā-like sin and Mahāraurava punishment.