Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

विप्रवेषं समास्थाय शूद्रो भूत्वा प्रतिग्रहम् । तृणकाष्ठसमं वापि प्रतिगृह्य पतत्यधः

Transliteration

vipraveṣaṃ samāsthāya śūdro bhūtvā pratigraham | tṛṇakāṣṭhasamaṃ vāpi pratigṛhya patatyadhaḥ

Translation

ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣର ବେଶ ଧାରଣ କରି ଯେ ଶୂଦ୍ର ଦାନ-ପ୍ରତିଗ୍ରହ କରେ, ସେ ତୃଣ କିମ୍ବା କାଠ ସମାନ ତୁଚ୍ଛ ବସ୍ତୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ଗ୍ରହଣ କଲେ ଅଧୋଗତିକୁ ପତିତ ହୁଏ।

Word by Word

• विप्र: of a Brahmin
• विप्र: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध) (within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे प्रातिपदिक; समासपूर्वपद (compound member)

• वेषम्: guise/attire
• वेषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः: विप्र-वेष (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• समास्थाय: having assumed
• समास्थाय: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-आ-√स्था (धातु; क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive) अव्यय; पूर्वकालक्रिया

• शूद्रः: a Shudra
• शूद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √भू (धातु; क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive) अव्यय; पूर्वकालक्रिया

• प्रतिग्रहम्: acceptance (of gifts)
• प्रतिग्रहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रति-ग्रह (धातु √ग्रह् + उपसर्ग प्रति; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• तृण: grass
• तृण: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध) (within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे प्रातिपदिक; समासपूर्वपद (compound member)

• काष्ठ: wood
• काष्ठ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध) (within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे प्रातिपदिक; समासपूर्वपद (compound member)

• समम्: equal to (as worthless as)
• समम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्मपूरक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः: तृण-काष्ठ (द्वन्द्व) + सम (उपमानवाचक); समं = ‘सदृशम्’

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-निपात (also/even)

• प्रतिगृह्य: having accepted
• प्रतिगृह्य: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति-√ग्रह् (धातु; क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive) अव्यय; पूर्वकालक्रिया

• पतति: falls
• पतति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पत् (धातु; लट्)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• अधः: downwards
• अधः: Gati/Direction (दिशा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; दिशावाचक (adverb of direction)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A man in borrowed sacred thread and brāhmaṇa attire stretches out his hand for alms; the gift is mere grass/wood, yet shadowy forces pull him downward, illustrating that deceit—not the object’s value—causes the fall.

Characters & Entities

• vipra-veṣa
• śūdra
• pratigrāha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Religious status cannot be faked for profit; deceit in sacred contexts leads to spiritual downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The warning is delivered within the Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya, applying to conduct at that tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prohibition: do not accept gifts under false religious identity; avoid pratigrāha rooted in deception.