Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

नास्तिको निंदकः क्षुद्रो नित्यनैमित्त्यवर्जितः । ब्राह्मणान्द्वेष्टि यो नूनं स प्रेतो जायते नरः

Transliteration

nāstiko niṃdakaḥ kṣudro nityanaimittyavarjitaḥ | brāhmaṇāndveṣṭi yo nūnaṃ sa preto jāyate naraḥ

Translation

നാസ്തികൻ, നിന്ദകൻ, ക്ഷുദ്രചിത്തൻ, നിത്യ-നൈമിത്തിക കർമങ്ങൾ ഉപേക്ഷിച്ചവൻ, ബ്രാഹ്മണരെ ദ്വേഷിക്കുന്നവൻ—അത്തരം മനുഷ്യൻ നിശ്ചയമായി പ്രേതനായി ജനിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• नास्तिकः: an atheist
• नास्तिकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नास्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• निन्दकः: a reviler
• निन्दकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निन्दक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• क्षुद्रः: base/mean
• क्षुद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• नित्यनैमित्त्यवर्जितः: devoid of daily and occasional rites
• नित्यनैमित्त्यवर्जितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नित्य-नैमित्त्य-वर्जित (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः द्वन्द्वपूर्वक-तत्पुरुषः (नित्यं च नैमित्त्यं च तयोः वर्जितः)

• ब्राह्मणान्: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• द्वेष्टि: hates
• द्वेष्टि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: द्विष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• नूनम्: certainly
• नूनम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नूनम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक

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

• प्रेतः: a preta
• प्रेतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विधेय-नाम

• जायते: is born/becomes
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

Preta(s) (as narrators/instructors within the episode)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Gautama (and/or a dvija interlocutor within the frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic assembly at Prabhāsa: a sage instructs a brāhmaṇa audience; in the background, shadowy preta-forms symbolize the consequence of nāstikya and nindā, while a tīrtha-shore and temple silhouette suggest the sacred setting.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Nitya-karma
• Naimittika-karma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through discipline, respectful speech, and reverence for sacred communities; neglect and hostility are portrayed as leading to spiritual downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where proper conduct (sadācāra) is emphasized as part of the tīrtha’s sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Maintain nitya (daily) and naimittika (occasional/conditional) rites; avoid nindā (reviling) and dveṣa (hatred).