Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

अचलांश्चालयेद्यस्तु प्रासादान्ब्राह्मणान्पुरान् । अचिरेणैव कालेन पातकेनैव लिप्यते

Transliteration

acalāṃścālayedyastu prāsādānbrāhmaṇānpurān | acireṇaiva kālena pātakenaiva lipyate

Translation

അചലമായവയെ കുലുക്കാൻ ശ്രമിക്കുന്നവൻ—പ്രാസാദങ്ങൾ, ബ്രാഹ്മണർ, പുണ്യപുരങ്ങൾ—അൽപകാലത്തിനകം പാപത്തിൽ ലിപ്തനാകും.

Word by Word

• अचलान्: immovables/mountains
• अचलान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अचल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन

• चालयेत्: should move/shake
• चालयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चल् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (relative pronoun)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrastive particle)

• प्रासादान्: palaces/temples
• प्रासादान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रासाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन

• ब्राह्मणान्: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन

• पुरान्: cities
• पुरान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन

• अचिरेण: soon/within a short time
• अचिरेण: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अचिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन (adverbial instrumental: 'in a short time')

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• कालेन: by time/with time
• कालेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• पातकेन: by sin
• पातकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• एव: certainly
• एव: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• लिप्यते: is tainted/smeared
• लिप्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद, कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Brahmā (continuing admonition; inferred from context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dānavendra / potential transgressor archetype

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: a would-be violator reaches toward a temple/city, while an unseen force of dharma recoils him; brāhmaṇas and city shrines stand firm like mountains.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Prāsāda (temple/shrine)
• Pura (city)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Harming or destabilizing sacred supports of dharma—temples, brāhmaṇas, and holy cities—brings swift pāpa (sin).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named; the verse broadly upholds the sanctity of puras (often inclusive of tīrtha-kṣetras).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A negative injunction is implied: do not disturb or violate temples, brāhmaṇas, and sacred settlements.