Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

इदानीं तव जामाता विप्रान्पालयते न हि । तच्छ्रुत्वा विप्रवाक्यं तु राजा विप्रानथाब्रवीत्

Transliteration

idānīṃ tava jāmātā viprānpālayate na hi | tacchrutvā vipravākyaṃ tu rājā viprānathābravīt

Translation

「いまや汝の婿は、ブラーフマナたちを少しも守ってはおらぬ。」ブラーフマナの言葉を聞いた王は、ついで彼らに語りかけた。

Word by Word

• इदानीम्: now
• इदानीम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इदानीम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• तव: of you/your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठीविभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• जामाता: son-in-law
• जामाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जामातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• विप्रान्: Brahmins
• विप्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पालयते: protects/maintains
• पालयते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पाल् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

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

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• विप्रवाक्यम्: the Brahmins' statement
• विप्रवाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक) + वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: 'of Brahmins'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तु: but/then
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; विरोध/अन्वयार्थ (but/indeed)

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विप्रान्: to the Brahmins
• विप्रान्: Sampradāna/Āmantraṇa (Addressee/सम्प्रदान-आमन्त्रण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse connector (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: मङ्गल/अनन्तरार्थक अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• अब्रवीत्: said/spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration); the king prepares to respond

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of brāhmaṇas, austere and earnest, stand before a seated king in court; their spokesman accuses the king’s son-in-law of neglecting brāhmaṇa-protection; the king turns attentive, preparing to respond.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ)
• king (rājā)
• son-in-law (jāmātā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A ruler is accountable to dharma, and neglect of protecting righteous communities is treated as a serious moral failure.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is Dharmāraṇya (Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa), presented as a sacred dharma-land where right conduct is examined and taught.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the focus is on ethical governance and protection.