Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

अंगारराशीन्वै दीप्तान्ये गाहन्ते नराधमाः । स्वामिद्रोहरता ह्येते तथा हेतुप्रवादकाः

Transliteration

aṃgārarāśīnvai dīptānye gāhante narādhamāḥ | svāmidroharatā hyete tathā hetupravādakāḥ

Translation

ജ്വലിക്കുന്ന അങ്കാരരാശികളിൽ ചാടുന്ന നരാധമർ സ്വാമിദ്രോഹത്തിൽ രതരാണ്; അതുപോലെ കള്ളന്യായങ്ങൾ കെട്ടിച്ചമച്ച് ദൂഷണപരമായ ‘ഹേതുക്കൾ’ പ്രചരിപ്പിക്കുന്നവരും അവരാണ്.

Word by Word

• अङ्गार-राशीन्: heaps of embers
• अङ्गार-राशीन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गार (प्रातिपदिक) + राशि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• दीप्तान्: blazing
• दीप्तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीप्त (कृदन्त; √दीप् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘अङ्गारराशीन्’

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• गाहन्ते: plunge into
• गाहन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गाह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नर-अधमाः: worst of men
• नर-अधमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + अधम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• स्वामि-द्रोह-रताः: delighting in treachery to their master
• स्वामि-द्रोह-रताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वामि (प्रातिपदिक) + द्रोह (प्रातिपदिक) + रत (कृदन्त; √रम् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘एते’

• हि: indeed
• हि: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तथा: also/likewise
• तथा: Discourse/Modifier
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• हेतु-प्रवादकाः: slanderers/false arguers (speakers of pretexts)
• हेतु-प्रवादकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रवादक (प्रातिपदिक; √वद् धातु-आधारित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A hell-vision of sinners forced into glowing ember-heaps, their bodies lit by orange-red heat; above, a moral narrator gestures, indicating that betrayal and slander ignite one’s own downfall.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Treachery and deceit corrode dharma; loyalty and truthful intention are demanded in relationships of duty and protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, whose Māhātmya situates moral governance and personal integrity within a sacred pilgrimage frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse warns against svāmi-droha and dishonest speech.