Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

जिह्मवृत्तिपराः सर्वे वेदनिंदापरायणाः । यतिनिंदापराश्चैव च्छद्मकाराः परस्परम्

Transliteration

jihmavṛttiparāḥ sarve vedaniṃdāparāyaṇāḥ | yatiniṃdāparāścaiva cchadmakārāḥ parasparam

Translation

എല്ലാവരും വക്രാചരണത്തിൽ ലീനരായി വേദനിന്ദയിൽ തൽപരരാകും; യതികളെ നിന്ദിച്ച് പരസ്പരം കപടവേഷങ്ങളാൽ വഞ്ചിക്കും.

Word by Word

• जिह्म-वृत्ति-पराः: devoted to crooked conduct
• जिह्म-वृत्ति-पराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जिह्म (प्रातिपदिक) + वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः: जिह्मवृत्तौ पराः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• वेद-निन्दा-परायणाः: given over to reviling the Vedas
• वेद-निन्दा-परायणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + निन्दा (प्रातिपदिक) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः: वेदनिन्दायां परायणाः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• यति-निन्दा-पराः: devoted to censuring ascetics
• यति-निन्दा-पराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यति (प्रातिपदिक) + निन्दा (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः: यतिनिन्दायां पराः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• छद्म-काराः: deceivers; hypocrites
• छद्म-काराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छद्म (प्रातिपदिक) + कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः: छद्मं करोति इति); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• परस्परम्: mutually; one another
• परस्परम्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परस्परम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (reciprocal adverb)

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator within Dharmāraṇya-khaṇḍa describing Kali-yuga traits)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājan) implied

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral allegory: figures wearing ascetic garb but acting deceitfully; a true sage stands calm, while townspeople mock Vedic recitation; the king listens, troubled.

Characters & Entities

• Veda
• Yati
• Kali-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma collapses when society normalizes deceit and contempt for śruti (Veda) and sādhus; the verse urges reverence and integrity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; this is a moral portrait of Kali-yuga behavior.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the implied prescription is satya (truthfulness) and honoring Vedic authority and genuine renunciants.