Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 77
नान्यथा शक्यते कर्त्तुं द्विजानां वचनं हि तत् । ब्राह्मणाः कुपिता नूनं भस्मीकुर्युः स्वतेजसा
nānyathā śakyate karttuṃ dvijānāṃ vacanaṃ hi tat | brāhmaṇāḥ kupitā nūnaṃ bhasmīkuryuḥ svatejasā
Il ne peut en être autrement, car telle est la parole des deux-fois-nés. Si les brāhmaṇas s’irritent, ils réduiraient assurément (toute chose) en cendres par leur propre splendeur spirituelle.
Narrator / Devas’ pragmatic reasoning (speaker not explicitly marked; verse states a general principle)
Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Listener: Ṛṣi audience (frame typical; not explicit)
Scene: A cautionary moment: the narrative stresses that the word of dvijas cannot be altered; an imagined flare of ascetic radiance suggests the destructive potential of angered brāhmaṇas.
FAQs
Disrespect to dharma-bearers rebounds severely; spiritual authority (tejas) is portrayed as a real force safeguarding sacred order.
Prabhāsa Kṣetra, where the power and status of resident brāhmaṇas are emphasized as part of the kṣetra’s protection.
No ritual; it warns against provoking brāhmaṇas and underscores adherence to their rightful word in sacred matters.