Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

स्मशानेष्वपि तेजस्वी पावको नैव दुष्यति । हव्यकव्यव्यपेतोऽपि ब्राह्मणो नैव दुष्यति

Transliteration

smaśāneṣvapi tejasvī pāvako naiva duṣyati | havyakavyavyapeto'pi brāhmaṇo naiva duṣyati

Translation

Bahkan di tanah pembakaran mayat, api yang menyala tidak tercemar. Demikian juga, seorang Brāhmaṇa, walau terpisah daripada persembahan bagi para dewa dan leluhur (havyakāvya), tetap tidak ternoda.

Word by Word

• स्मशानेषु: in cremation grounds
• स्मशानेषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्मशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; अर्थे—अपि/यद्यपि (even/also)

• तेजस्वी: radiant, powerful
• तेजस्वी: Karta (Subject complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तेजस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘पावकः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• पावकः: fire
• पावकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पावक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphasis: indeed/just)

• दुष्यति: is defiled, becomes impure
• दुष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दुष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• हव्यकव्यव्यपेतः: devoid of offerings to gods and ancestors
• हव्यकव्यव्यपेतः: Karta (Subject complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हव्य + कव्य + व्यपेत (प्रातिपदिक; वि-अप-इ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—हव्य-कव्य (द्वन्द्व) + व्यपेत (बहिर्गत-तत्पुरुषभावः: ‘हव्यकव्ययोः व्यपेतः’)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात, अव्यय; अर्थे—अपि (even)

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात

• दुष्यति: is defiled
• दुष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दुष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (deduced, addressing Devī with vocatives like varānane/mahādevi in the surrounding verses)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī / Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic juxtaposition: a cremation-ground at dusk with a bright, untouched sacred fire; nearby a humble brāhmaṇa without patrons, yet radiant and untainted, illustrating non-defilement.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Pāvaka (Fire)
• Smaśāna (cremation-ground)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True purity is intrinsic to dharma: like fire that remains pure, a brāhmaṇa’s essential sanctity is not reduced by harsh circumstances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra (Prabhāsa), praised as a sacred field where dharma and right reverence are upheld.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the verse supports the dharmic principle of honoring brāhmaṇas irrespective of material lack of havya-kavya.