Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

तेषां दण्डो विधेयस्तु य उक्तो विधिवद्विजैः । चिह्नं न राममुद्राया यावद्दंडं ददाति न

Transliteration

teṣāṃ daṇḍo vidheyastu ya ukto vidhivadvijaiḥ | cihnaṃ na rāmamudrāyā yāvaddaṃḍaṃ dadāti na

Translation

ଏମାନଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ ପଣ୍ଡିତ ଦ୍ୱିଜମାନେ ବିଧିମତେ କହିଥିବା ଦଣ୍ଡ ନିଶ୍ଚୟ ଭାବେ ବିଧେୟ। ଯେପର୍ଯ୍ୟନ୍ତ ଦଣ୍ଡ ଦିଆଯାଏ ନାହିଁ, ସେପର୍ଯ୍ୟନ୍ତ ରାମମୁଦ୍ରାର ଚିହ୍ନ ଧାରଣ କରିବା ଉଚିତ ନୁହେଁ।

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of those (persons)
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• दण्डः: punishment
• दण्डः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• विधेयः: to be imposed
• विधेयः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + धा (धातु) → विधेय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भविष्यत्कर्तव्यता-वाचक (gerundive/तव्यत्-अर्थ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘to be done/ordained’

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अवधारण-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• यः: which (punishment)
• यः: Sambandha (Relative pronoun/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उक्तः: stated
• उक्तः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विधिवत्: according to rule
• विधिवत्: Adverbial (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधि + वत् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीति-अव्यय (adverb: according to rule)

• द्विजैः: by the Brahmins
• द्विजैः: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• चिह्नम्: mark, sign
• चिह्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• राममुद्रायाः: of Rāma’s seal
• राममुद्रायाः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम + मुद्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• यावत्: until
• यावत्: Sambandha (Limit-marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधि-अव्यय (until/as long as)

• दण्डम्: punishment (fine)
• दण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• ददाति: gives/pays
• ददाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

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

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from section context)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpasattama (a king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A council of learned dvijas pronounces a measured penalty; a devotee stands humbly without the Rāma-mudrā mark, awaiting completion of penance before re-adoption.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Accountability is part of dharma; sacred identity is validated by ethical rectification, not mere display.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as a dharma-rule within the Dharmāraṇya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A rule of eligibility: one should not bear Rāma’s mudrā-mark until the prescribed penalty/atonement is fulfilled.