Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मणो मानसः पुत्रो ब्रह्मचर्ये व्यवस्थितः । अयुक्तं कुरुते नित्यं कस्मात्प्रकृतिरीदृशी

Transliteration

brahmaṇo mānasaḥ putro brahmacarye vyavasthitaḥ | ayuktaṃ kurute nityaṃ kasmātprakṛtirīdṛśī

Translation

Fils né de l’esprit de Brahmā, établi dans le brahmacarya, et pourtant tu fais sans cesse ce qui est inconvenant. Pourquoi ta nature est-elle ainsi ?

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā / of Brahman
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; Genitive singular

• मानसः: mental; mind-born
• मानसः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; Adjective agreeing with पुत्रः

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; Nominative singular

• ब्रह्मचर्ये: in celibacy; in brahmacarya
• ब्रह्मचर्ये: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; Locative singular

• व्यवस्थितः: established; firmly abiding
• व्यवस्थितः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु) → व्यवस्थित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त; ‘स्थित’ = established

• अयुक्तम्: improper (act/thing)
• अयुक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; Accusative singular (object)

• कुरुते: does; performs
• कुरुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Present indicative, 3rd sg

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• कस्मात्: from what? why?
• कस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; Ablative singular; interrogative

• प्रकृतिः: nature; disposition
• प्रकृतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• ईदृशी: such; of this kind
• ईदृशी: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Adjective agreeing with प्रकृतिः

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual: a ṛṣi/elder addressing Nārada)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sāmba points out the contradiction: Nārada, Brahmā’s mind-born son and brahmacārin, still behaves improperly; the scene is charged with moral interrogation.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual rank and vows (like brahmacarya) must manifest as fitting behavior; otherwise they become hollow labels.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya, situating the ethical teaching within the sanctity of Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Brahmacarya is referenced as a discipline, but no specific rite is prescribed in this verse.