Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

महापातकिभिः सार्द्धं दिनमेकं तु यो द्विजः । निवसेत्सादरं तस्य तत्क्षणाद्वै द्विजन्मनः

Transliteration

mahāpātakibhiḥ sārddhaṃ dinamekaṃ tu yo dvijaḥ | nivasetsādaraṃ tasya tatkṣaṇādvai dvijanmanaḥ

Translation

എന്നാൽ മഹാപാതകരോടൊപ്പം ആദരത്തോടെ ഒരുദിവസം പോലും വസിക്കുന്ന ദ്വിജന്റെ ദ്വിജത്വക്ഷയം ആ നിമിഷം മുതലേ ആരംഭിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• महापातकिभिः: with great sinners
• महापातकिभिः: Sahakaraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महापातकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• सार्द्धम्: together with
• सार्द्धम्: Sahakaraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्द्धम् (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-अर्थक अव्यय (together with)

• दिनम्: for a day
• दिनम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कालपरिमाण (accusative of duration)

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; दिनम् विशेषयति

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (particle)

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

• द्विजः: a twice-born (brāhmaṇa)
• द्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• निवसेत्: should dwell
• निवसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सादरम्: respectfully
• सादरम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सादर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषणवत् (accusative used adverbially)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तत्क्षणात्: from that very moment / immediately
• तत्क्षणात्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययवत् (ablative used adverbially)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• द्विजन्मनः: of (his) twice-born status
• द्विजन्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘द्विजन्मन्’ = द्विजत्वम्/द्विजजन्म (state of being twice-born)

Speaker

Sūta (context continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gautamī tīra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moment of threshold: Durācāra steps into the sinners’ dwelling; as he crosses, a visible quarter of his luminous aura peels away like a fading flame, indicating instantaneous loss.

Characters & Entities

• Mahāpātakins
• Dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even brief, approving association with grave wrongdoing is portrayed as immediately damaging to one’s dharmic standing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhanuṣkoṭi remains the chapter’s tīrtha focus, though this verse functions as a dharma warning.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implicit prescription: avoid respectful companionship with mahāpātakins; maintain pure association.