Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

मार्गमाणास्तदा ते तु ग्रामाणि च पुराणि च । कञ्चित्कर्मरतं पापं ददृशुर्ब्राह्मणब्रुवम्

Transliteration

mārgamāṇāstadā te tu grāmāṇi ca purāṇi ca | kañcitkarmarataṃ pāpaṃ dadṛśurbrāhmaṇabruvam

Translation

అప్పుడు వారు గ్రామములనూ నగరములనూ వెదకుచు, దుష్కర్మములలో మునిగిన ఒక పాపిని చూచిరి; వాడు మాత్రము తనను ‘బ్రాహ్మణుడు’ అని చెప్పుకొనుచుండెను.

Word by Word

• mārgamāṇāḥ: seeking
• mārgamāṇāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: mārg (धातु) + शानच् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha/Emphasis (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/विरोधसूचक (particle)

• grāmāṇi: villages
• grāmāṇi: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: grāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• purāṇi: towns/cities
• purāṇi: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• kañcit: some (one)
• kañcit: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ka (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + cit (निपात)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite)

• karmaratam: engaged in deeds
• karmaratam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: karma + rata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of pāpam)

• pāpam: a sinner / sinful person
• pāpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• dadṛśuḥ: saw
• dadṛśuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• brāhmaṇabruvam: claiming to be a brāhmaṇa
• brāhmaṇabruvam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brāhmaṇa + bruv (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of pāpam/kañcit)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; purāṇic narrator within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya region (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Searchers move through bustling villages and fortified towns; they finally spot a man performing sinful acts, yet wearing marks or attire suggesting a brāhmaṇa, his face hardened by vice—an image of hypocrisy revealed.

Characters & Entities

• Dvāḥ (searchers/devotees)
• Brāhmaṇa-bruva
• Grāma
• Pura

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Self-identification or social claim does not establish dharma; righteousness is recognized by conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The search occurs in the Dharmāraṇya region, preparing the sacred-site etiology that follows.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual; it narrates the process of identifying the ‘caṇḍāla by deeds’ as instructed.