Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

ब्रह्महत्या सुरापानं दरिद्रस्य तु यद्धनम् । गुरोः पत्नी हिरण्यं च स्वर्गस्थमपि पातयेत्

Transliteration

brahmahatyā surāpānaṃ daridrasya tu yaddhanam | guroḥ patnī hiraṇyaṃ ca svargasthamapi pātayet

Translation

Tuer un brahmane, boire des liqueurs, prendre le bien du pauvre, souiller l’épouse du maître et voler l’or—ces fautes peuvent faire choir même celui qui demeure au ciel.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्महत्या: Brahmin-slaughter; brahmahatyā sin
• ब्रह्महत्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahma-hatyā (प्रातिपदिक; ब्रह्म + हत्या)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृ/विषय (subject)

• सुरापानम्: drinking liquor
• सुरापानम्: Karta (Co-subject/समुच्चित)
• Type: Noun
• Root: surā-pāna (प्रातिपदिक; सुरा + पान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; समुच्चित-विषय (co-listed sin)

• दरिद्रस्य: of a poor man
• दरिद्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daridra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle; contrast/emphasis)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (relative)

• धनम्: wealth; property
• धनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; विषय/कर्म (the wealth)

• गुरोः: of the teacher
• गुरोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• पत्नी: wife
• पत्नी: Karta (Co-subject/समुच्चित)
• Type: Noun
• Root: patnī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृ/विषय (co-listed)

• हिरण्यम्: gold
• हिरण्यम्: Karta (Co-subject/समुच्चित)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hiraṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; विषय/कर्म (co-listed)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/ conjunction)

• स्वर्गस्थम्: one who is in heaven
• स्वर्गस्थम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svarga-stha (प्रातिपदिक; स्वर्ग + स्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifies implied 'one in heaven')

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle; even)

• पातयेत्: would cause to fall; would bring down
• पातयेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pat (धातु) + ṇic (णिच् causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial figure slipping from a luminous svarga pavilion as dark karmic chains labeled with the five grave sins pull downward; sages at Prabhāsa point to dharma tablets warning pilgrims.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Guru
• Svarga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain mahāpātakas overturn even high spiritual status; ethical breaches can nullify heavenly merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s Māhātmya, where pilgrimage is paired with strict moral accountability.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; it is a doctrinal warning about mahāpātakas and their karmic power.