Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

यद्राजा कुरुते पापं प्रमादाद्यच्च विभ्रमात् । वसन्तो ब्राह्मणा राष्ट्रे श्रोत्रियाः शमयन्ति तत्

Transliteration

yadrājā kurute pāpaṃ pramādādyacca vibhramāt | vasanto brāhmaṇā rāṣṭre śrotriyāḥ śamayanti tat

Translation

രാജാവ് അശ്രദ്ധയാലോ മോഹത്താലോ ചെയ്യുന്ന പാപം, രാജ്യത്ത് വസിക്കുന്ന ശ്രോത്രിയ പണ്ഡിത ബ്രാഹ്മണർ ശമിപ്പിച്ച് നിർവീര്യമാക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• yat: whatever (that)
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• kurute: does/commits
• kurute: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• pāpam: sin
• pāpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• pramādāt: from negligence
• pramādāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pramāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (ablative of cause)

• yat: whatever (that)
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• vibhramāt: from delusion/error
• vibhramāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे

• vasantaḥ: dwelling/residing
• vasantaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vas (धातु) + śatṛ (कृत्)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विशेषण (brāhmaṇāḥ इति)

• brāhmaṇāḥ: Brahmins
• brāhmaṇāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• rāṣṭre: in the kingdom
• rāṣṭre: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāṣṭra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; अधिकरणे

• śrotriyāḥ: learned in the Veda
• śrotriyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śrotriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विशेषण (brāhmaṇāḥ)

• śamayanti: pacify/remove
• śamayanti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śam (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• tat: that (sin)
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; अन्वादेश (correlative pronoun)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from nearby verses identifying Brāhmaṇas as Śiva’s form)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience including rulers and pilgrims

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of śrotriya brāhmaṇas performs a śānti-homa; flames rise gently, mantras visualized as luminous syllables; the king stands behind with humility as dark ‘sin-smoke’ dissipates into clear sky.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Rājā
• Śrotriya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The presence of Veda-grounded Brāhmaṇas functions as a spiritual safeguard for society, reducing the fallout of rulers’ errors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where dharmic social order is praised as part of the site’s greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied: maintaining śrotriya Brāhmaṇas who uphold śruti through recitation, rites, and dharmic conduct.