Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

नान्यथा शक्यते कर्त्तुं द्विजानां वचनं हि तत् । ब्राह्मणाः कुपिता नूनं भस्मीकुर्युः स्वतेजसा

Transliteration

nānyathā śakyate karttuṃ dvijānāṃ vacanaṃ hi tat | brāhmaṇāḥ kupitā nūnaṃ bhasmīkuryuḥ svatejasā

Translation

Иначе сделать невозможно, ибо таково слово дважды-рождённых. Если брахманы разгневаются, они несомненно обратят (всё) в пепел своим собственным духовным сиянием.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• anyathā: otherwise
• anyathā: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyathā (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• śakyate: is possible
• śakyate: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śak (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• kartum: to do
• kartum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-भाव (infinitive)

• dvijānām: of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• dvijānām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचन

• vacanam: word; command
• vacanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• hi: indeed; for
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• brāhmaṇāḥ: Brahmins
• brāhmaṇāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), बहुवचन

• kupitāḥ: angered
• kupitāḥ: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kupita (कृदन्त; √kup)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying brāhmaṇāḥ)

• nūnam: surely
• nūnam: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nūnam (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (adverb of certainty)

• bhasmīkuryuḥ: would reduce to ashes
• bhasmīkuryuḥ: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhasmī-kṛ (धातु; √kṛ with उपसर्ग/नामधातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• svatejasā: by their own splendor/power
• svatejasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva-tejas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: स्वस्य तेजः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator / Devas’ pragmatic reasoning (speaker not explicitly marked; verse states a general principle)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi audience (frame typical; not explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cautionary moment: the narrative stresses that the word of dvijas cannot be altered; an imagined flare of ascetic radiance suggests the destructive potential of angered brāhmaṇas.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija (Brāhmaṇa)
• Brāhmaṇas
• Tejas (spiritual power)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Disrespect to dharma-bearers rebounds severely; spiritual authority (tejas) is portrayed as a real force safeguarding sacred order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, where the power and status of resident brāhmaṇas are emphasized as part of the kṣetra’s protection.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual; it warns against provoking brāhmaṇas and underscores adherence to their rightful word in sacred matters.