Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

महापातकवर्ज्यं हि पूज्यो विप्रो वरानने । सर्वथा ब्राह्मणाः पूज्याः सर्वथा दैवतं महत् । तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन रक्षेदापद्गतं द्विजम्

Transliteration

mahāpātakavarjyaṃ hi pūjyo vipro varānane | sarvathā brāhmaṇāḥ pūjyāḥ sarvathā daivataṃ mahat | tasmātsarvaprayatnena rakṣedāpadgataṃ dvijam

Translation

โอ้ผู้มีพักตร์งาม พราหมณ์ผู้เว้นจากมหาบาปย่อมควรแก่การบูชา พราหมณ์ทั้งหลายควรได้รับการเทิดทูนเสมอ ในทุกประการเป็นเทวภาพอันยิ่งใหญ่ เพราะฉะนั้นจงพยายามทุกทางเพื่อคุ้มครองทวิชะผู้ตกอยู่ในภัย

Word by Word

• महापातकवर्ज्यम्: to be avoided as a great sin
• महापातकवर्ज्यम्: Karma (Object complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महापातक + वर्ज्य (प्रातिपदिक; वर्ज् (धातु) + यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कृत्य (यत्) ‘वर्ज्य’ = to be avoided; समासः—महापातकस्य वर्ज्यम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात, अव्यय; अर्थे—खलु (indeed)

• पूज्यः: worthy of worship
• पूज्यः: Karta (Subject complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + यत् → पूज्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृत्य (gerundive/यत्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘विप्रः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• विप्रः: a Brahmin
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• वरानने: O fair-faced one
• वरानने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरानना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः—वरा आनना यस्याः सा (कर्मधारय: ‘beautiful-faced’)

• सर्वथा: in every way, always
• सर्वथा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (in every way/always)

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• पूज्याः: worthy of worship
• पूज्याः: Karta (Subject complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + यत् → पूज्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृत्य (यत्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘ब्राह्मणाः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• सर्वथा: always
• सर्वथा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक

• दैवतम्: divinity, deity
• दैवतम्: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैवत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विधेय

• महत्: great
• महत्: Karta (Predicate qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; ‘दैवतम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Sambandha (Logical connector/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (तद्-सर्वनाम; तस्मात्-रूपम्)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; हेत्वर्थक/निष्कर्षार्थक (therefore)

• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: with all effort
• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्व + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; समासः—सर्वः प्रयत्नः यस्य (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषभावः), अर्थे—पूर्णप्रयत्नेन (with all effort)

• रक्षेत्: should protect
• रक्षेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• आपद्गतम्: fallen into calamity
• आपद्गतम्: Karma (Object qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आपद् + गत (प्रातिपदिक; गम् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—आपदि गतः (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष)

• द्विजम्: a twice-born (Brahmin)
• द्विजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (deduced, addressing Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī / Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa threatened by danger (bandits, flood, or harassment) near the sacred precinct; a righteous protector intervenes; Skanda’s teaching implied as a guiding voice; the goddess listens.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Dvija
• Mahāpātaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence and protection of the dharmic teacher-class is a sacred duty; honoring brāhmaṇas is treated as honoring divinity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where dharma is taught through duties of worship, respect, and protection.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A practical dharma-prescription: actively protect a dvija in distress (āpadgata), not merely offer verbal respect.