Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 130

Devanagari script

यस्मिंस्तु निधनं प्राप्ता एधन्ते बहवः सुखम् । तस्मिन्हते च भूयो हि पातकं नास्ति तस्य वै

Transliteration

yasmiṃstu nidhanaṃ prāptā edhante bahavaḥ sukham | tasminhate ca bhūyo hi pātakaṃ nāsti tasya vai

Translation

Mais si, par la mort d'un seul, beaucoup prospèrent dans le bonheur, alors tuer cet individu n'entraîne assurément aucun péché.

Word by Word

• yasmin: in whom/where
• yasmin: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक सर्वनाम

• tu: but
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधसूचक निपात

• nidhanaṃ: death
• nidhanaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nidhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• prāptā: having met (death)
• prāptā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √āp (धातु) + pra-; prāpta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः (agreeing with implied ‘vasudhā/earth’)

• edhante: prosper, thrive
• edhante: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √edh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• bahavaḥ: many (people)
• bahavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• sukham: happiness
• sukham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• tasmin: in that (case/person)
• tasmin: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• hate: when (he) is slain
• hate: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √han (धातु); hata (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• bhūyaḥ: more, further
• bhūyaḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhūyas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अधिक्यवाचक (more/further)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थक निपात (indeed/for)

• pātakam: sin
• pātakam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pātaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• asti: is
• asti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• tasya: of him/of that
• tasya: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक निपात (indeed/emphatic)

Speaker

Rājā (Vainya / Pṛthu, the king in this episode)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ruler or divine agent articulates a consequentialist dharma-argument: one life weighed against the welfare of many; the setting hints at Prabhāsa’s coastal sanctity and the gravity of rājadharma.

Characters & Entities

• Rājā (Vainya/Pṛthu implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When an act is aimed at the welfare of many rather than desire, it is framed as dharmically different from sinful violence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the māhātmya situates teachings on governance and cosmic order.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse continues a dharma-argument about intent and collective welfare.