Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

ब्रह्महत्या सुरापानं दरिद्रस्य तु यद्धनम् । गुरोः पत्नी हिरण्यं च स्वर्गस्थमपि पातयेत्

Transliteration

brahmahatyā surāpānaṃ daridrasya tu yaddhanam | guroḥ patnī hiraṇyaṃ ca svargasthamapi pātayet

Translation

ब्रह्महत्या, सुरापानं, दरिद्रस्य धनापहारः, गुरुपत्नीगमनं, हिरण्यापहारश्च—एते स्वर्गस्थमपि पातयन्ति।

Word by Word

• ब्रह्महत्या: Brahmin-slaughter; brahmahatyā sin
• ब्रह्महत्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahma-hatyā (प्रातिपदिक; ब्रह्म + हत्या)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृ/विषय (subject)

• सुरापानम्: drinking liquor
• सुरापानम्: Karta (Co-subject/समुच्चित)
• Type: Noun
• Root: surā-pāna (प्रातिपदिक; सुरा + पान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; समुच्चित-विषय (co-listed sin)

• दरिद्रस्य: of a poor man
• दरिद्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daridra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle; contrast/emphasis)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (relative)

• धनम्: wealth; property
• धनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; विषय/कर्म (the wealth)

• गुरोः: of the teacher
• गुरोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• पत्नी: wife
• पत्नी: Karta (Co-subject/समुच्चित)
• Type: Noun
• Root: patnī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृ/विषय (co-listed)

• हिरण्यम्: gold
• हिरण्यम्: Karta (Co-subject/समुच्चित)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hiraṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; विषय/कर्म (co-listed)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/ conjunction)

• स्वर्गस्थम्: one who is in heaven
• स्वर्गस्थम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svarga-stha (प्रातिपदिक; स्वर्ग + स्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifies implied 'one in heaven')

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle; even)

• पातयेत्: would cause to fall; would bring down
• पातयेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pat (धातु) + ṇic (णिच् causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial figure slipping from a luminous svarga pavilion as dark karmic chains labeled with the five grave sins pull downward; sages at Prabhāsa point to dharma tablets warning pilgrims.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Guru
• Svarga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain mahāpātakas overturn even high spiritual status; ethical breaches can nullify heavenly merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s Māhātmya, where pilgrimage is paired with strict moral accountability.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; it is a doctrinal warning about mahāpātakas and their karmic power.