Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 82

Devanagari script

युवा जातः क्रमेणैव हिंस्रः क्रूरो बभूव ह । न वेदशास्त्रकुशलो दयाधर्मविवर्जितः

Transliteration

yuvā jātaḥ krameṇaiva hiṃsraḥ krūro babhūva ha | na vedaśāstrakuśalo dayādharmavivarjitaḥ

Translation

Tatkala dia meningkat dewasa sedikit demi sedikit, dia menjadi ganas dan kejam. Dia tidak mahir dalam Veda dan śāstra, serta kosong daripada belas kasih dan dharma.

Word by Word

• युवा: a youth
• युवा: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युवन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• जातः: having become
• जातः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जात (कृदन्त; √जन् (धातु))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle)

• क्रमेण: gradually, in due course
• क्रमेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis)

• हिंस्रः: violent
• हिंस्रः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हिंस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• क्रूरः: cruel
• क्रूरः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• बभूव: became
• बभूव: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• ह: indeed/then
• ह: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; narrative/emphasis)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• वेद-शास्त्र-कुशलः: skilled in Veda and śāstra
• वेद-शास्त्र-कुशलः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + कुशल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• दयाधर्म-विवर्जितः: devoid of compassion and dharma
• दयाधर्म-विवर्जितः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दयाधर्म (प्रातिपदिक-द्वन्द्व) + विवर्जित (कृदन्त; √वृज्/√वर्ज् (धातु) उपसर्ग: वि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle)

Speaker

Mṛgyu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (standard frame) / or interlocutor within the mahatmya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A young prince maturing into a harsh ruler: darkened court atmosphere, broken palm-leaf manuscripts ignored, frightened subjects withdrawing; the king’s posture rigid, eyes sharp, hands clenched—symbolizing hiṃsā and śāstra-vimukhatā.

Characters & Entities

• Veda
• Śāstra
• dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power without scriptural wisdom and compassion devolves into cruelty and becomes a cause of downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The larger passage is situated in the Vastrāpatha-kṣetra Māhātmya of Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.