Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

यो न रक्षति विप्रेंद्र विषरोगातुरं नरम् । ब्रह्महा स सुरापी च स्तेयी च गुरुतल्पगः

Transliteration

yo na rakṣati vipreṃdra viṣarogāturaṃ naram | brahmahā sa surāpī ca steyī ca gurutalpagaḥ

Translation

“โอ้ผู้ประเสริฐในหมู่พราหมณ์ ผู้ใดไม่คุ้มครองมนุษย์ผู้ทุกข์ด้วยพิษหรือโรค เขาย่อมมีบาปเสมอผู้ฆ่าพราหมณ์ ผู้ดื่มสุรา ผู้ลักขโมย และผู้ล่วงละเมิดแท่นบรรทมของครู”

Word by Word

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• rakṣati: protects
• rakṣati: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: rakṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• viprendra: O best of Brahmins
• viprendra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (viprāṇām indraḥ = lord of Brahmins); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• viṣarogāturam: afflicted with poison/disease
• viṣarogāturam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viṣa + roga + ātura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (viṣa-roga-ātura = afflicted with poison-disease); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'naram' इति विशेषण

• naram: a man
• naram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• brahmahā: a Brahmin-slayer
• brahmahā: Pratijñā/Predicate (Predicate nominative/प्रत्यय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman + han (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष (brahmaṇaḥ hantā = Brahmin-killer); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta/Predicate support (Co-referent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• surāpī: a liquor-drinker
• surāpī: Pratijñā/Predicate (Predicate nominative/प्रत्यय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: surā + pī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष (surāṃ pibati = drinker of liquor); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (and)

• steyī: a thief
• steyī: Pratijñā/Predicate (Predicate nominative/प्रत्यय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: steya + in (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तद्धितान्त (इन्-प्रत्यय): 'thief/one who steals'; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (and)

• gurutalpagaḥ: one who violates the teacher's bed
• gurutalpagaḥ: Pratijñā/Predicate (Predicate nominative/प्रत्यय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru + talpa + ga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (guroḥ talpaṃ gacchati = one who violates the guru's bed); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Śākalya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A suffering person bitten by a serpent or writhing with poison; a capable healer stands nearby with antidote but hesitates; above, symbolic scales equate the omission with four mahāpātakas.

Characters & Entities

• Śākalya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Compassionate protection of the vulnerable is central to dharma; refusing aid to the suffering is condemned as gravely as the greatest transgressions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the teaching supports the broader Setu-khaṇḍa ethos of dharma, merit, and sacred responsibility.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse prescribes a practical dharma: rakṣaṇa (protecting/saving) those in danger, especially the afflicted.