Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 122

Devanagari script

उवाच चैनं नाधर्म्यं स्त्रीवधं परिपश्यसि । कथं धारयिता चासि प्रजा राजन्मया विना

Transliteration

uvāca cainaṃ nādharmyaṃ strīvadhaṃ paripaśyasi | kathaṃ dhārayitā cāsi prajā rājanmayā vinā

Translation

Et elle lui dit : «Ne vois-tu pas que tuer une femme est adharma, contraire à la droiture ? Ô roi, sans moi, comment soutiendras-tu et protégeras-tu les êtres ?»

Word by Word

• उवाच: said/spoke
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एनम्: him/this one
• एनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• अधर्म्यम्: unrighteous/against dharma
• अधर्म्यम्: Karma (Object-complement/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधर्म्य (प्रातिपदिक; अधर्म + यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• स्त्रीवधम्: killing of a woman
• स्त्रीवधम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक) + वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्त्रियाः वधः)

• परिपश्यसि: you see/consider
• परिपश्यसि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः परि-

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• धारयिता: sustainer/bearer
• धारयिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृ (धातु) + तृ (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कर्तरि तृन्-प्रत्ययान्त (agent noun), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriya (Copula/अस्ति-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• प्रजाः: subjects/people
• प्रजाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), बहुवचन

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• मया: by me/with me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Apadana (Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: वियोगार्थक अव्यय/उपपद (postposition governing instrumental)

Speaker

Bhū-devī / Mahī (the Earth goddess) speaking to Vainya (Pṛthu)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhūdevī speaks firmly to Vainya: ‘Do you not see the unrighteousness of killing a woman?’ Her posture is dignified; Vainya’s raised bow hesitates as the moral argument lands.

Characters & Entities

• Bhū-devī (Earth)
• Vainya (Pṛthu)
• Prajā (subjects)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma restrains power: even a ruler must avoid adharma such as violence against the helpless.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching appears within Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya, where dharmic dialogues enhance the tīrtha’s spiritual authority.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an ethical injunction emphasizing non-adharmic action.