Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

केचित्कौलव्रता ह्यस्मिन्दृश्यन्ते सकलैर्जनैः । सुरास्त्रीमांसभूयिष्ठा विकर्मस्थाश्च लिङ्गिनः

Transliteration

kecitkaulavratā hyasmindṛśyante sakalairjanaiḥ | surāstrīmāṃsabhūyiṣṭhā vikarmasthāśca liṅginaḥ

Translation

ഇവിടെ ചിലരെ എല്ലാവരും കൗലവ്രതധാരികളായി കാണുന്നു—സുര, സ്ത്രീ, മാംസം എന്നിവയിൽ അത്യധികം ആസക്തരായി; ധാർമ്മിക ചിഹ്നങ്ങൾ ധരിച്ചിട്ടും നിഷിദ്ധകർമ്മങ്ങളിൽ ഏർപ്പെട്ട ലിംഗധാരികൾ।

Word by Word

• केचित्: some (people)
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क-चिद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक

• कौलव्रताः: followers of the Kaula vow
• कौलव्रताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौल (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कौलानां व्रतम्/कौलव्रतम्; तदनुष्ठातारः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये अव्यय (particle: indeed/for)

• अस्मिन्: in this (place)
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• दृश्यन्ते: are seen
• दृश्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• सकलैः: by all
• सकलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; ‘जनैः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• जनैः: by people
• जनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; करण

• सुरा: liquor
• सुरा: Sambandha (compound member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद (मद्य)

• स्त्री: women
• स्त्री: Sambandha (compound member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद

• मांस: meat
• मांस: Sambandha (compound member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद

• भूयिष्ठाः: mostly/addicted chiefly to
• भूयिष्ठाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूयिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अतिशयवाचक (superlative-like) विशेषण; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘बहुलाः/अत्यधिकाः’ अर्थे

• विकर्मस्थाः: engaged in forbidden acts
• विकर्मस्थाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विकर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (विकर्मणि स्थाः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• लिङ्गिनः: wearers of religious marks/garb
• लिङ्गिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्गिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘लिङ्गधारिणः/वेषधारिणः’ अर्थे

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya; speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A crowded Prabhāsa pilgrimage setting where certain ascetic-looking figures with sect-marks are revealed indulging in wine, meat, and illicit acts; onlookers react with shock and moral clarity.

Characters & Entities

• Kaula-vrata
• Liṅgins (marked ascetics)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is not validated by symbols alone; indulgence and prohibited action negate the claim of holiness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, whose māhātmya contrasts true sanctity with corrupted imitation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a moral characterization rather than a recommended practice.