Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

मित्रध्रुड्दूतवृत्तिश्च पुत्राचार्यस्तथैव च । भ्रमरी मण्डपाली च चित्रांगः पिशुनस्तथा

Transliteration

mitradhruḍdūtavṛttiśca putrācāryastathaiva ca | bhramarī maṇḍapālī ca citrāṃgaḥ piśunastathā

Translation

സുഹൃദ്ദ്രോഹി, ദൂതവൃത്തിയാൽ ജീവിക്കുന്നവൻ, ‘പുത്രാചാര്യൻ’ എന്ന അനുചിത ഉപജീവി; കൂടാതെ ഭ്രമരീ, മണ്ഡപാലീ, ചിത്രാംഗൻ, പിശുനൻ (പരദൂഷകൻ)—ഇവരും നിന്ദിതർ.

Word by Word

• mitradhruṭ: betrayer of a friend
• mitradhruṭ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mitra + dhruṭ (प्रातिपदिक; √druh (धातु) से)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मित्रस्य द्रुह्/द्रोही)

• dūtavṛttiḥ: one who lives by being a messenger
• dūtavṛttiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dūta + vṛtti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दूतस्य वृत्तिः)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• putrācāryaḥ: teacher of one’s son
• putrācāryaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra + ācārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पुत्रस्य आचार्यः)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• bhramarī: bhramarī (a woman so called)
• bhramarī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhramarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘भ्रमरी’ (भ्रमर-सम्बन्धिनी/भ्रमरिणी)

• maṇḍapālī: Maṇḍapālī (proper name)
• maṇḍapālī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṇḍapālī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; व्यक्तिवाचक (नाम)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• citrāṃgaḥ: Citrāṅga / one with variegated limbs
• citrāṃgaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citra + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (चित्रम् अङ्गं यस्य/चित्राङ्गः)

• piśunaḥ: slanderer, informer
• piśunaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piśuna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘पिशुन’ (चुगल/दूषक)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim is approached by a slick messenger and a slanderer whispering; an elder points to a quiet, disciplined recipient. The named figures (Bhramarī, Maṇḍapālī, Citrāṅga) appear as archetypal ‘censured types’ in the margins.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit depends on ethical conduct: betrayal, slander, and tainted livelihoods undermine the sanctity of religious giving.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where dharma is taught with practical guidance on preserving puṇya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A dāna-related caution: do not select such persons as recipients when other worthy recipients are available.