Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

प्रतिज्ञायाप्रयच्छन्यो ह्यल्पायुर्जायते नरः । विप्रवृत्त्यपहारी स्यादजीर्णी सर्वदाऽधमः

Transliteration

pratijñāyāprayacchanyo hyalpāyurjāyate naraḥ | vipravṛttyapahārī syādajīrṇī sarvadā'dhamaḥ

Translation

ప్రతిజ్ఞ చేసి ప్రతిశ్రుత దానాన్ని ఇవ్వని వాడు అల్పాయువుగా జన్మిస్తాడు. బ్రాహ్మణుని జీవికను అపహరించువాడు నిత్యం అజీర్ణితో ఉండి, సర్వదా అధముడిగా భావింపబడతాడు.

Word by Word

• प्रतिज्ञाय: by a promise
• प्रतिज्ञाय: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratijñā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण-कारक (instrumental)

• अप्रयच्छन्: not giving (what was promised)
• अप्रयच्छन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: a+pra√yam (धातु; यम्/यच्छ्)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमा-पुरुष?; वास्तवतः वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त-प्रायः: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (प्रयच्छत्) नकारान्त रूप; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (कर्तरि)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ya (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• अल्पायुḥ: short-lived
• अल्पायुḥ: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: alpa+āyus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुल्लिङ्ग-प्रयोगः (आयुस्), प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• जायते: is born / becomes
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jan (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• विप्रवृत्ति-अपहारी: one who steals a Brahmin's livelihood/property
• विप्रवृत्ति-अपहारी: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra-vṛtti (प्रातिपदिक) + apahārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विप्रवृत्तेः अपहारी)

• स्यात्: would be / becomes
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• अजीर्णी: suffering from indigestion
• अजीर्णी: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ajīrṇin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• अधमः: base, vile
• अधमः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण/पदपूरक

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder publicly makes a pledge before elders and a brāhmaṇa, then withholds the promised gift; beside him, a brāhmaṇa’s livelihood is taken away—shown as a stolen bundle of grain/coins—while the moral consequence is hinted through a withered lifespan motif and a figure clutching his stomach in indigestion.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Integrity in speech and generosity in fulfilled pledges are dharma; betrayal of vows and exploitation of the pious bring swift karmic decline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse focuses on ethical causality (karmavipāka).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implies the dharma of honoring one’s promised dāna (gift/charity), though no detailed ritual is specified.