Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

मित्रद्रोहे च यत्पापं यत्पापं गुरुवंचके । तेन पापेन लिप्यामि यद्यहं नागमे पुनः

Transliteration

mitradrohe ca yatpāpaṃ yatpāpaṃ guruvaṃcake | tena pāpena lipyāmi yadyahaṃ nāgame punaḥ

Translation

ਜੇ ਮੈਂ ਮੁੜ ਕੇ ਨਾ ਆਵਾਂ, ਤਾਂ ਮੈਨੂੰ ਮਿੱਤਰ ਨਾਲ ਦ੍ਰੋਹ ਕਰਨ ਦੇ ਪਾਪ ਅਤੇ ਗੁਰੂ ਨੂੰ ਠੱਗਣ ਦੇ ਪਾਪ ਨਾਲ ਲਿਪਤ ਹੋਣਾ ਪਵੇ।

Word by Word

• मित्रद्रोहे: in betrayal of a friend
• मित्रद्रोहे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र-द्रोह (प्रातिपदिक; मित्र + द्रोह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; मित्रस्य द्रोहः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (relative pronoun)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (relative pronoun)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• गुरुवञ्चके: in deceiving the teacher
• गुरुवञ्चके: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु-वञ्चक (प्रातिपदिक; गुरु + वञ्चक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; गुरोः वञ्चकः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• तेन: by that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पापेन: by sin
• पापेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• लिप्यामि: I become tainted
• लिप्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तबोधक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

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

• आगमे: I came / I return
• आगमे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist/भूत), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; सन्धि-रूप: आगमे (आ + अगमे)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/पुनरावृत्तिबोधक-अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Kapilā (Cow)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kapilā invokes two relational sins—betraying a friend and deceiving a guru—as the stain she accepts if she fails to return; composition can show two figures symbolically: a friend offering help and a guru offering instruction, both contrasted with Kapilā’s vow.

Characters & Entities

• Kapilā (cow)
• Mitra (friend)
• Guru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Loyalty is dharma: betrayal of friend or guru destroys trust; therefore one must honor promises even when survival is at stake.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; the verse is an ethical oath within the Arbuda section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an oath listing moral transgressions as consequences.