Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

उदासीनः सभामध्ये ब्रह्महा स प्रकीर्तितः । मिथ्यागुणैः स्वमात्मानं नयत्युत्कर्षतां बलात्

Transliteration

udāsīnaḥ sabhāmadhye brahmahā sa prakīrtitaḥ | mithyāguṇaiḥ svamātmānaṃ nayatyutkarṣatāṃ balāt

Translation

സഭയുടെ നടുവിൽ ഉദാസീനനായി ഇരിക്കുന്നവൻ ബ്രഹ്മഹാ എന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധനാകുന്നു. കള്ളഗുണങ്ങൾ കാട്ടി ബലമായി സ്വയം ഉന്നതസ്ഥാനത്തിലേക്ക് തള്ളിക്കയറ്റുന്നവനും അത്തരത്തിലേയാണ്.

Word by Word

• उदासीनः: indifferent, unconcerned
• उदासीनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उदासीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• सभामध्ये: in the midst of the assembly
• सभामध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सभा (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सभा-मध्ये = in the middle of the assembly)

• ब्रह्महा: brahmin-slayer
• ब्रह्महा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + हन् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्म-हन् = slayer of a brāhmaṇa)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• प्रकीर्तितः: is declared/called
• प्रकीर्तितः: Predicate (विशेष्य-विशेषण/समासार्थ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + कीर्त् (धातु) → प्रकीर्तित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle)

• मिथ्यागुणैः: by false qualities
• मिथ्यागुणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मिथ्या (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-भाव) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (मिथ्या-गुण = false qualities)

• स्वम्: one's own
• स्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• आत्मानम्: self
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• नयति: leads/drives
• नयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• उत्कर्षताम्: to superiority/exaltation
• उत्कर्षताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्कर्षता (प्रातिपदिक; भाव)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भाववाचक (state/condition)

• बलात्: by force, forcibly
• बलात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable); तसिल्-अर्थे (ablatival sense) = forcibly

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal or learned assembly hall: a man sits aloof while a dispute of dharma unfolds; another figure displays ostentatious marks of virtue, pushing forward to claim honor, while sages look on with disapproval.

Characters & Entities

• Sabhā (assembly)
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Indifference to dharmic matters in public and self-exaltation through hypocrisy are condemned as severe ethical failures.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the concern is moral conduct in communal settings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it critiques apathy and deceit rather than prescribing a rite.