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Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 55

अस्पृश्यस्त्वं द्विजेंद्राणामन्येषां च नृणां भुवि । तवोदकेन ये मर्त्त्याः करिष्यंति कुबुद्धयः

aspṛśyastvaṃ dvijeṃdrāṇāmanyeṣāṃ ca nṛṇāṃ bhuvi | tavodakena ye marttyāḥ kariṣyaṃti kubuddhayaḥ

Tu seras intouchable pour les plus éminents des deux-fois-nés, et pour les autres hommes sur la terre également. Quant aux mortels à l’esprit insensé qui feront usage de ton eau—

aspṛśyaḥuntouchable
aspṛśyaḥ:
Kriyā (Predicate complement)
TypeAdjective
Roota- + spṛśya (प्रातिपदिक; √spṛś (धातु) ‘to touch’)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; निषेध ‘a-’: ‘untouchable’
tvamyou
tvam:
Kartā (Subject)
TypeNoun
Roottvam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन
dvija-indrāṇāmof the best of Brahmins (twice-born)
dvija-indrāṇām:
Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
TypeNoun
Rootdvija (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/कर्मधारयभाव): ‘द्विजानाम् इन्द्राः’ = ‘best among twice-born’; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन
anyeṣāmof others
anyeṣām:
Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
TypeAdjective
Rootanya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; ‘of others’
caand
ca:
Sambandha (Connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)
nṛṇāmof men
nṛṇām:
Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
TypeNoun
Rootnṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन
bhuvion earth
bhuvi:
Adhikaraṇa (Location)
TypeNoun
Rootbhū (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन
tavayour
tava:
Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
TypeNoun
Roottvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम, षष्ठी, एकवचन
udakenawith water
udakena:
Karaṇa (Instrument)
TypeNoun
Rootudaka (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन
yewho
ye:
Kartā (Subject of relative clause)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)
marttyāḥmortals
marttyāḥ:
Kartā (Apposition to ‘ye’)
TypeNoun
Rootmartya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
kariṣyantiwill do / will use
kariṣyanti:
Kriyā (Main verb)
TypeVerb
Root√kṛ (धातु)
Formलृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद
kubuddhayaḥfoolish people; ill-minded ones
kubuddhayaḥ:
Kartā (Appositional descriptor)
TypeNoun
Rootku- + buddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा, बहुवचन; उपसर्ग ‘ku-’ (bad)

Brāhmaṇas (continuing the curse)

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (forbidden jalāśaya)

Type: ghat

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer, unspecified

Scene: Dvijas and pilgrims recoil from a water-body marked as untouchable; a few ‘foolish’ figures approach it, creating a moral contrast tableau.

O
Ocean (Samudra)
B
Brāhmaṇas
M
Mortals (martya)

FAQs

Impurity created by adharma can spread through contact; dharma therefore requires mindful association and use of substances.

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where rules of purity and sacred conduct are narrated through the ocean’s curse.

A taboo is implied: avoid contact/use of the cursed water, especially for the dvijas.