Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

पश्चात्प्रतिग्रहं विप्रैः कर्त्तव्यमिति निश्चितम् । समागमेषु विप्राणां न्यायान्यायविनिर्णये

Transliteration

paścātpratigrahaṃ vipraiḥ karttavyamiti niścitam | samāgameṣu viprāṇāṃ nyāyānyāyavinirṇaye

Translation

पश्चात् विप्रैः प्रतिग्रहः कर्तव्य इति निश्चितम्। विप्राणां समागमेषु न्यायान्यायविनिर्णये॥

Word by Word

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Adverbial (Kriya-visheshana/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक (afterwards)

• प्रतिग्रहम्: acceptance (of gifts)/receiving
• प्रतिग्रहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विप्रैः: by the brāhmaṇas
• विप्रैः: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• कर्तव्यम्: to be done/should be done
• कर्तव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive; obligation), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भावे/कर्मणि—"it should be done"

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उद्धरण/समाप्ति-चिह्न (quotative)

• निश्चितम्: decided/settled
• निश्चितम्: Kriya (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + चि (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भावे—निर्णीतम्

• समागमेषु: in gatherings/assemblies
• समागमेषु: Adhikarana (Location/occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समागम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• विप्राणाम्: of brāhmaṇas
• विप्राणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• न्याय-अन्याय-विनिर्णये: in the determination of right and wrong
• न्याय-अन्याय-विनिर्णये: Adhikarana (Topic/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्याय (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्याय (प्रातिपदिक) + विनिर्णय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-पूर्वपद (न्याय+अन्याय) तत्पुरुष-सम्बन्धेन विनिर्णयः

Speaker

Deductive: Sūta (dharma procedural narration) on assemblies and adjudicatory norms

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A formal brāhmaṇa assembly seated in a hall; elders deliberate and then authorize acceptance of a gift/fee after determining what is just and unjust.

Characters & Entities

• vipra (brāhmaṇa)
• pratigraha
• nyāya
• anyāya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is safeguarded through accountable assemblies: decisions and related acceptances must follow a defined ethical order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is praised; the focus is on dharmic procedure in communal decision-making.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A procedural prescription: only after proper steps, brāhmaṇas may accept (pratigraha) in the context of assemblies deciding justice.