Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

ये निंदंति पुराणज्ञं कथां वा पापहारिणीम् । ते वै जन्मशतं मर्त्याः शुनका संभवंति च

Transliteration

ye niṃdaṃti purāṇajñaṃ kathāṃ vā pāpahāriṇīm | te vai janmaśataṃ martyāḥ śunakā saṃbhavaṃti ca

Translation

புராணங்களை அறிந்தவரை நிந்திப்பவர்களும், பாபநாசினியான புனிதக் கதையையே இகழ்பவர்களும், நூறு பிறவிகள் நாய்யோனியில் பிறக்கின்றனர்.

Word by Word

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचकः (relative pronoun)

• निन्दन्ति: they censure
• निन्दन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निन्द् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पुराणज्ञम्: the knower of the Purāṇa
• पुराणज्ञम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (पुराणं जानाति इति)

• कथाम्: the discourse/story
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• पापहारिणीम्: sin-removing
• पापहारिणीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + हारिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (पापं हरति इति)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; अन्वादेश (correlative pronoun)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/खल्वर्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• जन्मशतम्: a hundred births
• जन्मशतम्: Kala/Parimana (Measure/परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—द्विगु (शतं जन्मानि)

• मर्त्याः: mortals
• मर्त्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• शुनकाः: dogs
• शुनकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• सम्भवन्ति: they become/are born as
• सम्भवन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

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

Speaker

Unknown (context not supplied; likely a purāṇic narrator within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A reciter holding a manuscript; a heckler points and mocks; the moral consequence is shown symbolically as a chain of canine rebirths, while devotees shield the reciter with reverence.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Do not disparage scripture or its teachers; such contempt becomes heavy karmic bondage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A moral prescription: refrain from nindā (revilement) of the purāṇa-knower and kathā.