Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तथा भूमितले विप्रान्यज्वनोऽथ तपस्विनः । निजघान स दुष्टात्मा ये चान्ये धर्मचारिणः

Transliteration

tathā bhūmitale viprānyajvano'tha tapasvinaḥ | nijaghāna sa duṣṭātmā ye cānye dharmacāriṇaḥ

Translation

Do mesmo modo, sobre a terra, aquele de alma perversa abateu brāhmaṇas, sacrificadores e ascetas; e também outros que seguiam o dharma.

Word by Word

• तथा: also, likewise
• तथा: Adhikarana (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: 'thus/also')

• भूमितले: on the earth's surface
• भूमितले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमितल = भूमि + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (locative singular: 'on the surface of the earth')

• विप्रान्: brahmins
• विप्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (accusative plural)

• यज्वनः: sacrificers (performers of yajña)
• यज्वनः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (accusative plural; Vedic/epic form for यजमानान्/यज्वान्)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/अन्वय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle: 'then/and')

• तपस्विनः: ascetics
• तपस्विनः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (accusative plural)

• निजघान: he killed, struck down
• निजघान: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + √हन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; 'he slew/struck down'

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दुष्टात्मा: the wicked-souled one
• दुष्टात्मा: Karta (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्टात्मन् = दुष्ट + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेष्य-विशेषणभावः (wicked-souled)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Relative subject/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (relative pronoun: 'who')

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

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (nominative plural: 'others')

• धर्मचारिणः: practitioners of dharma
• धर्मचारिणः: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मचारिन् = धर्म + चारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'those who practice dharma'

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wicked figure assaults brāhmaṇas, yajamānas, and tapasvins on the earth; broken sacrificial implements, fallen kuśa grass, and scattered manuscripts evoke the shattering of dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Ruru
• vipra
• yajvan
• tapasvin
• dharma-cārin

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma is defined not only by power but by hostility toward yajña, tapas, and dharma; such persecution calls forth divine protection and restoration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This continues the backstory leading to the Devī Kumārikā sacred site within the Prabhāsa-kṣetra framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes the asura’s oppression of dharma practitioners.