Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । ब्रह्मन्किमेष धर्मस्ते किमेतद्गुरुशासनम् । अस्वर्ग्यमयशस्यं च परदाराभिमर्शनम्

Transliteration

rājovāca | brahmankimeṣa dharmaste kimetadguruśāsanam | asvargyamayaśasyaṃ ca paradārābhimarśanam

Translation

राजोवाच—ब्रह्मन्, किमेष धर्मस्ते? किमेतद्गुरुशासनम्? अस्वर्ग्यमयशस्यं च परदाराभिमर्शनम्॥

Word by Word

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• brahman: O Brahmin!
• brahman: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• kim: what?
• kim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (interrogative), एकवचन

• eṣaḥ: this
• eṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• dharmaḥ: dharma/righteousness
• dharmaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• te: your/of you
• te: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (enclitic); सर्वनाम

• kim: what?
• kim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (interrogative), एकवचन

• etat: this
• etat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• guru-śāsanam: teacher's injunction
• guru-śāsanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक) + śāsana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी: 'of the teacher'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• a-svargyam: not leading to heaven
• a-svargyam: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (नञ्) + svargya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नञ्-युक्त विशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• a-yaśasyam: disgraceful/without fame
• a-yaśasyam: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (नञ्) + yaśasya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नञ्-युक्त विशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

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

• para-dāra-abhimarśanam: approaching/touching another's wife
• para-dāra-abhimarśanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक) + dāra (प्रातिपदिक) + abhimarśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-श्रृंखला: 'touching another's wife'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Bhadrāyu (the king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king rises, palm outward in refusal, addressing the brāhmaṇa; the queen remains protected; courtiers align behind the king, signaling dharma’s authority.

Characters & Entities

• Bhadrāyu
• brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is not validated by status alone; acts that violate marital ethics lead to disgrace and spiritual downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the focus is normative dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it states an ethical prohibition (paradārābhimarśana-niṣedha).