Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

शक्यं हि कवचं भेत्तुं नाराचेन शरेण वा । अपि वज्र सहस्रेण ब्राह्मणाशीः सुदुर्भिदा

Transliteration

śakyaṃ hi kavacaṃ bhettuṃ nārācena śareṇa vā | api vajra sahasreṇa brāhmaṇāśīḥ sudurbhidā

Translation

Une cuirasse peut certes être percée—par une flèche à pointe d’acier ou par un trait ; mais la bénédiction d’un brāhmaṇa est presque impossible à briser, fût-ce par mille vajras, les foudres.

Word by Word

• शक्यम्: possible (to be done)
• शक्यम्: Pradhana (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्य (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √शक्)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययार्थक “possible”); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• कवचम्: armor
• कवचम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कवच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• भेत्तुम्: to pierce/break
• भेत्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (infinitive)

• नाराचेन: with an iron arrow
• नाराचेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाराच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन

• शरेण: with an arrow
• शरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive “or”)

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

• वज्र: with a thunderbolt
• वज्र: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचन (वज्रेण अपेक्षित; पद्ये प्रायः प्रातिपदिक-रूपेण)

• सहस्रेण: with a thousand (of them)
• सहस्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणाशीः: a Brahmin’s blessing
• ब्राह्मणाशीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक) + आशीस्/आशिष् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ब्राह्मणस्य आशिष्); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• सुदुर्भिदा: very hard to break
• सुदुर्भिदा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + दुर्भिद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय/उपपद-समास (सु + दुर्भिदा = अत्यन्तं दुर्भिदा); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; विशेषण (आशीः)

Speaker

Unknown (contextual narrator within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya; likely Sūta relating the teaching)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: a warrior’s armor pierced by arrows in the foreground, while behind, a serene Brāhmaṇa raises a hand in blessing; thunderbolts (vajra) shatter harmlessly, indicating the unbreakable nature of āśīrvāda.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly protections can be broken, but the spiritual force of a righteous Brāhmaṇa’s blessing is portrayed as nearly inviolable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader teaching occurs within the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya (Prabhāsa region, associated with Somnātha), emphasizing dharma in that sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; it implicitly urges honoring Brāhmaṇas to gain protective blessings.