Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

बहवो हि न जानंति नरा ज्ञानबहिष्कृताः । यथाहं द्विजरूपेण चरामि पृथिवीमिमाम्

Transliteration

bahavo hi na jānaṃti narā jñānabahiṣkṛtāḥ | yathāhaṃ dvijarūpeṇa carāmi pṛthivīmimām

Translation

มนุษย์เป็นอันมาก ผู้ถูกกีดกันจากญาณแท้ ไม่รู้ว่าเราท่องไปบนแผ่นดินนี้ในรูปของทวิชะ

Word by Word

• बहवः: many
• बहवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (masculine, nominative plural)

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Discourse/Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात-अव्यय (emphatic/causal particle)

• न: not
• न: Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• जानन्ति: know
• जानन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन (present indicative, 3rd plural)

• नराः: men, people
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (masculine, nominative plural)

• ज्ञानबहिष्कृताः: deprived of knowledge
• ज्ञानबहिष्कृताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + बहिष्कृत (कृदन्त; बहिस् + कृ धातु + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ज्ञानस्य बहिष्कृताः = excluded from knowledge); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• यथा: as, in the way that
• यथा: Prakara (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/उपमान (as/just as; introducing manner)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (1st person pronoun)

• द्विजरूपेण: in the form of a Brahmin
• द्विजरूपेण: Karana/Prakara (Instrument/Manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग? (रूप-शब्दः नपुंसक), तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (द्विजस्य रूपम्); करण/प्रकारे (instrumental of manner: 'in the form of')

• चरामि: I roam, I move about
• चरामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन (present indicative, 1st singular)

• पृथिवीम्: the earth
• पृथिवीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (feminine, accusative singular)

• इमाम्: this
• इमाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण (feminine accusative singular; demonstrative)

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim/householder audience within Prabhāsa-māhātmya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wandering dvija traveler on the road near Prabhāsa; behind the human form, a faint divine radiance suggests the Lord in disguise. Some townsfolk ignore him, while a wise pilgrim offers water and food, recognizing the mystery.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija
• Pṛthivī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divinity may appear in ordinary human forms; discernment and respect protect one from grave wrongdoing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, where the Māhātmya frames pilgrimage ethics and reverence as central virtues.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; it supports the broader Śrāddha and hospitality injunctions by warning against misrecognition.