Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

न ब्राह्मणान्परीक्षेत श्राद्धे क्षेत्रनिवासिनः । सुमहान्परिवादोऽस्य ब्राह्मणानां परीक्षणे

Transliteration

na brāhmaṇānparīkṣeta śrāddhe kṣetranivāsinaḥ | sumahānparivādo'sya brāhmaṇānāṃ parīkṣaṇe

Translation

ശ്രാദ്ധകർമ്മത്തിൽ ക്ഷേത്രനിവാസിയായ ബ്രാഹ്മണരെ പരീക്ഷിക്കരുത്; ബ്രാഹ്മണരെ പരീക്ഷിക്കുന്നത് മഹാദോഷവും കടുത്ത നിന്ദയും വരുത്തും।

Word by Word

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

• brāhmaṇān: Brahmins
• brāhmaṇān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• parīkṣeta: should examine/test
• parīkṣeta: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari + īkṣ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• śrāddhe: in the śrāddha rite
• śrāddhe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• kṣetra-nivāsinaḥ: residents of the sacred place
• kṣetra-nivāsinaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra + nivāsin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘क्षेत्रे निवसन्ति’ (inhabitants of the holy place)

• su-mahān: very great
• su-mahān: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + mahant (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘सु’ उपसर्ग/उपपदेन अतिशयार्थः

• parivādaḥ: blame, reproach
• parivādaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parivāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• asya: of this (act)
• asya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• brāhmaṇānām: of Brahmins
• brāhmaṇānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• parīkṣaṇe: in examining/testing
• parīkṣaṇe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parīkṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim/householder audience within the Prabhāsa-māhātmya frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in Prabhāsa prepares a śrāddha: darbha spread, piṇḍas arranged, water-pot and sesame; local Brāhmaṇas seated calmly while the host folds hands, refraining from questioning them.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Brāhmaṇas
• Prabhāsa Kṣetra (implied by kṣetra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual purity in śrāddha is upheld through humility and reverence, not suspicion; disrespect toward Brāhmaṇas is treated as a grave fault.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, indicated by the instruction concerning kṣetra-resident Brāhmaṇas in śrāddha performance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

During śrāddha, do not subject the kṣetra-nivāsī Brāhmaṇas to examination or qualification-testing; doing so incurs serious blame (parivāda).