Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

चण्डालादुदकात्सर्पाद्ब्राह्मणाद्वैद्युतादपि । दंष्ट्रिभ्यश्च पशुभ्यश्च मरणं पापकर्मणाम्

Transliteration

caṇḍālādudakātsarpādbrāhmaṇādvaidyutādapi | daṃṣṭribhyaśca paśubhyaśca maraṇaṃ pāpakarmaṇām

Translation

ଚଣ୍ଡାଳ, ଜଳ, ସର୍ପ, ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ, ଏବଂ ବିଜୁଳି, ଦଂଷ୍ଟ୍ରଧାରୀ ପ୍ରାଣୀ ଓ ପଶୁମାନଙ୍କ ଦ୍ୱାରା ଯେ ମୃତ୍ୟୁ ହୁଏ—ସେହି ମୃତ୍ୟୁ ପାପକର୍ମୀଙ୍କର ଭାଗ୍ୟ ବୋଲି କୁହାଯାଏ।

Word by Word

• caṇḍālāt: from a caṇḍāla
• caṇḍālāt: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caṇḍāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादान (source)

• udakāt: from water
• udakāt: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: udaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• sarpāt: from a snake
• sarpāt: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• brāhmaṇāt: from a Brahmin
• brāhmaṇāt: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• vaidyutāt: from lightning
• vaidyutāt: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaidyuta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारार्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• daṃṣṭribhyaḥ: from fanged creatures
• daṃṣṭribhyaḥ: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṃṣṭrin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• paśubhyaḥ: from animals
• paśubhyaḥ: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paśu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• maraṇam: death
• maraṇam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• pāpa-karmaṇām: of evil-doers / of those with sinful deeds
• pāpa-karmaṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः — ‘पापं कर्म’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral tableau: a sinful man threatened by multiple causes of death—serpent, lightning, wild beasts—set against the distant sanctity of Prabhāsa’s shore-temples, implying dharma as refuge.

Characters & Entities

• Caṇḍāla
• Brāhmaṇa
• Sarpa
• Vidyut (lightning)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Actions bear fruit; grievous misdeeds are portrayed as leading to harsh and inauspicious ends.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is embedded in Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya but focuses on karmic instruction rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed here; it supports the surrounding śrāddha/eligibility discussion by framing karmic outcomes.