Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणा जातितः पूज्या वेदाभ्यासात्ततः परम् । ततोर्थं हव्यकव्येषु न निन्द्या ब्राह्मणाः क्वचित्

Transliteration

brāhmaṇā jātitaḥ pūjyā vedābhyāsāttataḥ param | tatorthaṃ havyakavyeṣu na nindyā brāhmaṇāḥ kvacit

Translation

ブラーフマナは生まれによって礼敬に値し、さらにヴェーダの学習と実践によっていっそう尊ばれる。ゆえに、神々と祖霊への供物（ハヴィヤとカヴィヤ）においては、とりわけどこであれブラーフマナを決して誹ってはならない。

Word by Word

• brāhmaṇāḥ: Brahmins
• brāhmaṇāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• jātitaḥ: by birth
• jātitaḥ: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: jāti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): ‘जातितः’ = जात्या/जन्मतः

• pūjyāḥ: worthy of worship
• pūjyāḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūjya (प्रातिपदिक; √pūj, यत्/ण्यत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्तव्य/योग्यतार्थक (gerundive)

• veda-abhyāsāt: from Vedic study (i.e., due to it)
• veda-abhyāsāt: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda + abhyāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; ‘वेदस्य अभ्यासः’

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): ‘ततः’ = ततः/thereafter/therefrom

• param: higher, superior
• param: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणभावे ‘more/greater’

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): ‘thereafter/therefrom’

• artham: for the sake (of)
• artham: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (accusative of purpose)

• havya-kavyeṣu: in offerings to gods and ancestors
• havya-kavyeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: havya + kavya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वः—‘हव्ये च कव्ये च’

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• nindyāḥ: to be blamed
• nindyāḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nindya (प्रातिपदिक; √nind, यत्/ण्यत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्तव्य/योग्यतार्थक (gerundive): ‘निन्दनीयाः’

• brāhmaṇāḥ: Brahmins
• brāhmaṇāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• kvacit: ever, anywhere
• kvacit: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indefinite adverb): ‘क्वचित्’ = at any time/anywhere

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from the immediate context of Adhyāya 106)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/householders in Prabhāsa narrative frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A havya-kavya setting: small fire altar for deva offerings and a śrāddha arrangement for pitṛs; Brāhmaṇas sit as officiants and recipients, while the host speaks gently, avoiding any disparaging gesture.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Veda
• Havya
• Kavya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual purity is inseparable from reverence—disparaging Brāhmaṇas undermines the sanctity of offerings to devas and pitṛs.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, within the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya of the Skanda Purana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

During havya-kavya rites (deva and pitṛ offerings), one must not insult or denigrate Brāhmaṇas.